US efforts to restrict research ties with China

U.S. lawmakers are seeking to expand restrictions on research collaborations with Chinese institutions to protect national security and intellectual property.

Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, initially requested that the Department of Defense add 58 Chinese universities and 62 technology laboratories to the Section 1286 blacklist. These proposed additions target critical sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, including Tsinghua University.

Following these requests, the House Select Committee released a report titled ‘How to Stop China’s Theft of America’s Taxpayer-Funded Research.’ The committee is now advocating for the passage of the Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries (SIRA) Act, which would establish uniform federal standards to prevent taxpayer funds from supporting research with entities deemed national security risks. To support this push, the committee released 700 pages of investigative records detailing instances of undisclosed foreign affiliations and participation in foreign talent recruitment programs.