Recent incidents involving four Chinese science and engineering students who were heading to the United States have once again raised concerns about Chinese nationals entering the country. These students were subject to questioning and ultimately sent back by U.S. authorities amid the ongoing tensions between China and the U.S. and concerns over Chinese influence.
According to a report by the China Daily on June 22, the four Chinese students, all with backgrounds in science and engineering, including two focused on artificial intelligence, were detained and interrogated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers for over ten hours. The students were questioned extensively about their personal and family backgrounds, their studies and internships in the U.S., their affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party, and any collaborations with the Chinese government.
The enforcement officers particularly scrutinized their political affiliations, including Communist Party membership, and their backgrounds in computer-related scientific research.
During the interrogation process, one of the students had their electronic devices confiscated, while the other three were sent back to China. Additionally, two of the individuals were denied contact with their family and friends, leading to one of them being out of communication with the outside world for over 30 hours.
In recent years, heightened tensions between the U.S. and China, coupled with concerns of Chinese students and scholars engaging in intelligence theft or having ties to the Chinese Communist Party, have resulted in increased vigilance by U.S. authorities towards Chinese nationals entering the country.
Prior to these incidents, numerous Chinese students and scholars have been denied entry and deported upon arrival in the United States.
Reports from Bloomberg in May indicated that since the beginning of this year, over 20 Chinese students have faced lengthy interrogations upon entry to the U.S., had their phones and computers examined, had their student visas revoked, and were informed that they are barred from entering the U.S. for five years.
These students were enrolled at prestigious U.S. institutions such as Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Virginia.
For instance, on the last day of 2023, Susan, a second-year Ph.D. student in biomedical imaging at the University of Virginia, was interrogated by U.S. Customs officials at Dulles International Airport. She was asked about her Communist Party membership, whether she received scholarships from the Chinese government, and who sent her to the U.S. Despite vehement denials, Susan was deported and barred from entering the U.S. for five years.
Susan’s lawyer disclosed that prior to Susan’s deportation, Meng Fei, a Ph.D. student at Yale University, was also sent back to China. Meng Fei was informed by customs officials that she was being expelled under Presidential Proclamation 10043 and prohibited from re-entering the U.S. for five years.
In May 2020, then-President Trump issued Executive Order 10043, which barred Chinese students and scholars affiliated with the Chinese military and holding F or J visas (student or exchange visitor visas) from entering the U.S.
On December 3 of the same year, the U.S. Department of State introduced new restrictions, including barring Chinese Communist Party members and their immediate families from traveling to the U.S.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. confirmed on April 8 that nearly 300 Chinese nationals have been interrogated and sent back by U.S. authorities since July 2021, including over 70 students.
According to incomplete statistics, in recent years, over 30 Chinese students with computer-related backgrounds, primarily doctoral students at renowned U.S. universities, have been interrogated by U.S. authorities and subsequently deported. Their research areas span a wide range, including artificial intelligence, information science, network security, electrical engineering, software engineering, and electronic information engineering.
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles has issued statements indicating that the city is a critical entry point for Chinese students into the U.S. and a hotspot for deportations and interrogations.
Interrogation topics typically include the purpose of the students’ visit to the U.S., their academic history, employment status, disciplinary actions, and issues related to data theft in laboratories, among others, which are commonly raised during these probes.