Foreign media reports have revealed that a number of Chinese scholars with links to the Chinese military or intelligence agencies have been denied visas by French authorities. This move indicates that France is increasingly concerned about academic infiltration and influence activities by the Chinese Communist Party.
According to a report by French outlet “Intelligence Online” on Monday, September 30th, France refused to grant a visa to Hu Shisheng, the director of the South Asia Research Institute at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), preventing him from attending a Tibet-related seminar in Paris.
Hu Shisheng was originally scheduled to participate in a seminar on “Tibet and Sino-Indian Relations” held by the Académie de Géopolitique de Paris on September 20th but was turned away by France at the last minute.
The use of “Xizang,” a term endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party, instead of the internationally recognized “Tibet,” at the conference sparked controversy within academic circles. However, four other members of the Chinese delegation, including Zalo, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Tibetology Research Center, were still granted visas.
Hu Shisheng was ultimately forced to stay in Beijing, with his affiliation with the CICIR and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party likely being a key factor in his visa denial.
The China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations is directly under the Ministry of State Security of the Chinese Communist Party and is supervised by the Central Committee of the Party. The recent visa denial incident indicates that French intelligence agencies are closely monitoring Chinese infiltration and attempting to keep researchers affiliated with Chinese intelligence agencies away from Paris to prevent their access to important laboratories or participation in sensitive activities.
Hu Shisheng’s case is not an isolated one. A week prior, another incident of a Chinese scholar being denied a visa was reported by “Intelligence Online” on September 23rd.
In this case, a Chinese professor and researcher who had already been appointed by the French National School of Higher Engineering Techniques (ENSAM) and authorized to conduct research at a laboratory classified under the Science Restriction Zone (ZRR) faced a visa rejection.
The ZRR is a classification system used by France to protect national research institutions, with strict control measures for listed units.
The scholar had previously worked in Israel and had applied for a long-term visa, known as a “Talent Passport,” at the French consulate in Jerusalem before the summer. However, the application was rejected in early June.
The scholar appealed to the administrative court, where a report from French intelligence units highlighted his close ties with two Chinese universities and a Chinese scholar, raising concerns that he might be conducting military-related research for the Chinese Communist Party.
The report emphasized that his work fell within the dual civilian and military use sector, posing a risk to French national interests.
The French intelligence report specifically mentioned that the scholar had conducted research at the Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, specializing in aerospace, aviation, and naval research.
It also mentioned his collaboration with another Chinese scholar at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. Allegedly, the university’s Mechanical Engineering Institute actively collaborates with the People’s Liberation Army of China.
During the hearing, a representative from the French Ministry of the Interior informed the judge that all formal or personal collaborations with China or Chinese researchers should undergo scrutiny.