Four Chinese STEM students recently traveling to the United States for studies and academic conferences faced unwarranted harassment, interrogation, and repatriation by U.S. border officials, sources have revealed.
All four individuals have strong scientific and technical backgrounds, with two specializing in artificial intelligence, according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
Upon arrival, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers detained the students in a dark room for over 10 hours, subjecting them to continuous and coercive questioning. The inquiries focused on personal and family information, academic pursuits and internships in the U.S., membership in the Communist Party of China (CPC), and any collaborations with the Chinese government.
Sources noted that the officers placed particular emphasis on the students' political backgrounds, such as CPC membership, and their research areas related to computer science.
Moreover, in the absence of concrete evidence and valid warrants, U.S. officials seized electronic devices from one student and ultimately repatriated the other three without proper justification. Two of the students were denied the opportunity to contact their families and friends, resulting in one student being out of contact for more than 30 hours.
Incomplete statistics indicate that over the past few years, more than 30 Chinese students majoring in computer-related fields have experienced similar harassment, interrogation, and repatriation by U.S. authorities.
The majority of these students are pursuing master's or doctoral degrees, with over half being PhD candidates from prestigious U.S. universities. Their research spans areas such as artificial intelligence, information science, network security, electronics, software engineering, and electronic information engineering.
Sources emphasized that most of these students endured harassment and interrogation for extended periods upon entering the U.S., with some being held for up to five days. Ultimately, all faced visa cancellations and repatriation without exception.
According to the sources, these U.S. practices exceed standard law enforcement measures and are ideologically driven rather than aimed at maintaining national border security. The actions are perceived as efforts to hinder China's scientific and technological advancement and maintain U.S. hegemony in the tech sector.
The ongoing treatment of Chinese students is expected to create a chilling effect both within and outside the U.S., sour public opinion on China-U.S. relations, and impede the exchange of talents between the two nations. Additionally, these practices are likely to damage the U.S.'s international reputation and its innovation ecosystem.
In light of these developments, sources advise Chinese students to carefully assess the risks and consider the potential challenges before choosing to study in the United States.
Reference(s):
Chinese STEM students harassed, repatriated by U.S. border officials
cgtn.com
