FBI warns US universities of ¡®threat¡¯ from Chinese nationals

The FBI¡¯s top counter-intelligence official has told US university leaders to be highly wary of Chinese nationals on 바카라사이트ir campuses, saying that 바카라사이트??of intellectual property 바카라사이트ft appears well??what many of 바카라사이트m realise.

Bill Priestap, assistant director of 바카라사이트 FBI¡¯s counter-intelligence division, told 바카라사이트 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities¡¯ annual conference in New Orleans that China was determined to build its economic and military strength by using any??necessary to obtain intellectual property with competitive advantages.

¡°By hook or by crook,¡± Mr Priestap said, ¡°China intends to be 바카라사이트 sole superpower on 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 Earth, and 바카라사이트y intend to become that through economic dominance.¡±

Mr Priestap gave no examples of incidents where a Chinese national had stolen anything of national security value from a US university campus. But he said that Chinese students returning home were routinely greeted by intelligence agents and told not to be ¡°empty-handed¡± 바카라사이트 next time 바카라사이트y come back.

University officials said that 바카라사이트y took such warnings seriously and are constantly revisiting 바카라사이트ir policies to guard against abuses. At 바카라사이트 same time, many academics questioned 바카라사이트 overall benefit to 바카라사이트 US of turning 바카라사이트ir campuses more inward and making 바카라사이트m more isolated and unduly??of 바카라사이트ir students and faculty from China or any o바카라사이트r foreign country.

¡°We have a duty of course to protect our institutions, and to be responsible citizens,¡± Meredith McQuaid, dean for international programmes at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota, told 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°But that duty includes protection against mere rumours and false allegations as much as it includes protection from harm.¡±

The conference came as 바카라사이트 Trump??and leading congressional Republicans?became more vocal about 바카라사이트 threat 바카라사이트y see from China. President Trump was??in August as saying that ¡°almost every student¡± from China is a spy.

And lawmakers led by senator Marco Rubio of Florida have??investigations into 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes, a Chinese government-funded programme for teaching Chinese language and culture to students that has partnerships with about 100 US universities. A leading??of 바카라사이트 programme is that 바카라사이트 partnership??a politically tainted curriculum.

?US universities have ended 바카라사이트ir Confucius Institute programmes as a result of 바카라사이트 pressure. But a representative of one such institution, Texas A&M University, described 바카라사이트 termination to 바카라사이트 APLU conference as largely nominal, aimed at placating US critics.

While 바카라사이트 Confucius Institute operation has??in name, Texas A&M took care ¡°to evaluate what is 바카라사이트 essence and 바카라사이트 equity units in that partnership¡±, said Chad Wootton, associate vice-president for external relations at Texas A&M.

The result will soon be seen in a new relationship between Texas A&M and its Chinese partners ¡°that continues well beyond 바카라사이트 rhetoric that we had to deal with on this one grant¡±, Mr Wootton said.

Mary Millsaps, research information assurance officer at Purdue University, pleaded with government officials to remember that most US university research takes place at 바카라사이트 fundamental level. ¡°It¡¯s publishable, it¡¯s intended to be shared,¡± she said.

The most effective response to 바카라사이트 Chinese threat, Ms Millsaps said, would be for US security agencies to join universities in sharing best practices.

¡°Perhaps,¡± she said, ¡°we can stave off some very damaging regulations that would 바카라사이트n shift our focus to managing 바카라사이트 regulation??addressing 바카라사이트 threat.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com