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Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today joined Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) in introducing legislation requiring the U.S. government to develop a list of scientific and engineering institutions affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The bill would prohibit individuals employed or sponsored by these Chinese military institutions from receiving student or research visas to the United States.
 
Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) introduced companion legislation in the House.
 
The full text of the bill is here.
 
“It is in the interest of U.S. national security to ensure that those linked to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army are not able to receive research and student visas that are used to advance their malicious activities such as espionage and theft,” Rubio said.
 
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is being armed with help from American colleges and tech companies. Keeping PLA scientists out of our research laboratories is a basic act of self-defense. It’s stunning that this practice isn’t already prohibited,” Cotton said.
 
“Student and research visas ought to be reserved for those foreign nationals who want to contribute to our universities and research institutions, not for our foreign adversaries and spies that wish to do us harm. China has taken advantage of us for too long,” Grassley said.
 
“I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the PLA Visa Security Act,” Cruz said. “America must be vigilant in protecting the research, training, expertise, and innovation that the Chinese Communist Party has been stealing and exploiting for military and industrial purposes. I am hopeful my colleagues will move swiftly to pass this bill to safeguard America’s national security.”
 
“We cannot allow Chinese military institutions to obtain visas that give them a technological advantage,” said Blackburn. “Permitting PLA members to access and research dual-use technologies in our universities and labs is damaging to our national security. We can no longer provide them access to the same research opportunities afforded to Americans.”
 
“For too long, China’s communist government has been exploiting our student visa system to spy on our universities and steal our technology. This bill will keep the Chinese military away from critical research on our college campuses and curb China’s economic espionage activities in the United States,” said Hawley.