Republican lawmakers in the House are working to pass a law that would ban Chinese nationals from receiving student visas in the U.S., according to Fox News.

US Representative Riley Moore has long been expressing concerns about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) US student visa program. To address this, he plans to introduce a bill called the Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act, also known as the Stop CCP Visas Act, on Friday. The bill is currently being circulated to gather co-sponsors. Among the lawmakers expected to support it are Representatives Andy Ogles, Scott Perry, and Brandon Gill. 

Moore said, "Every year, we allow nearly 300,000 Chinese nationals to come to the U.S. on student visas. We've literally invited the CCP to spy on our military, steal our intellectual property, and threaten national security." He further said, "Just last year, the FBI charged five Chinese nationals here on student visas after they were caught photographing joint US-Taiwan live-fire military exercises. This cannot continue.” He called on Congress to take action against "China's exploitation of our student visa program," according to Fox News. He claimed that "it's time we turn off the spigot and immediately ban all student visas going to Chinese nationals." Moore mentioned an incident involving five former University of Michigan students who graduated in May through a joint program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. These individuals have been accused of spying on the U.S. military.

According to a Fox News report, they allegedly conducted surveillance on a National Guard facility in Michigan during a training exercise involving the Taiwanese military. A sergeant major from the Utah National Guard confronted the former students in August 2023. This led to a criminal complaint being filed in federal court on October 1. Progressive and Asian American organisations will probably oppose Moore's legislation. Tom Cotton had previously come under fire from the organisation Asian Americans Advancing Justice for calling for a ban on Chinese students studying in the United States.