US lawmaker seeks funding curbs for more Chinese universities

Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, has requested that the U.S. Department of Defense expand research funding restrictions to include 58 additional Chinese universities and 62 technology laboratories. These entities would be added to the Section 1286 list, a blacklist established under the National Defense Authorization Act to protect sensitive U.S. research from foreign threats such as intellectual property theft and espionage.

The proposed additions focus on critical sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Among the institutions targeted is Tsinghua University, a prominent Chinese institution whose business school advisory board includes executives from major American companies such as Nvidia, Apple, and Advanced Micro Devices.

Under current regulations, the Department of Defense is prohibited from providing research funding to any entity that collaborates with institutions on the Section 1286 list due to compliance risks. The Department previously announced investigations into 30 U.S. universities regarding their potential collaborations with listed Chinese institutions.