A US State Department official has confirmed that, due to concerns over "intellectual property theft," the US will begin restricting the visa validity period for some Chinese citizens starting next month.
"Starting from June 11, we (the US) will take steps to strengthen restrictions on some Chinese visa applicants," the official said. "Some changes to visa validity are part of the national security strategy, aimed at ensuring that intellectual property is not transferred to our competitors."
The official added that while most visas for Chinese citizens are issued with the maximum validity period, US consular officers may "restrict visa validity based on each individual's specific circumstances."
The US State Department said on Tuesday that the Trump administration plans to shorten the validity period of some visas issued to Chinese citizens, reportedly because President Donald Trump is committed to combating the theft of US intellectual property by Beijing.
The State Department stated that under the new policy, US consular officers can limit visa validity periods, rather than the usual practice of issuing visas for as long as possible.
The State Department did not provide specific details. However, a US official said that, according to instructions sent to US embassies and consulates, if Chinese graduate students are studying in fields such as robotics, aviation, and high-tech manufacturing, they will be limited to one-year visas. China has identified these fields as priority areas in its "Made in China 2025" manufacturing plan.
The policy also states that if Chinese citizens work as researchers or managers at companies on the US Commerce Department's entity list requiring stricter scrutiny, they will need special permission from multiple US agencies before applying for a visa. The official said that these permissions are expected to take several months per visa application.
The State Department said the application process itself will not change.
Earlier that day, the Trump administration announced it would impose 25% tariffs on technology-related products from China in retaliation for what it called China's unfair trade practices. The Chinese government said in a statement that the new tariffs "ultimately contradict the consensus reached by both sides" and urged the US to abide by its agreements.
The national security strategy released by Trump in December foreshadowed these changes. The document stated that the US would review and tighten visa procedures to "reduce economic theft by non-traditional intelligence collectors." It specifically mentioned the possibility of restricting visas for foreign students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Intellectual Property Theft???
The news immediately caused an uproar in the study-abroad community.
@fortune_teller_Mia: Trump the man of his word, America the spirit of contracts.
@SweetSayings_Girl: Trump is probably an Oscar-winning actor.
@Journey_Xin: The first to rule by Twitter.
@lollllllo: My visa expires in a month...
@BadHairDay: Upon hearing the news, the UK increased visa issuance.
@Zhu23CR7: Hasn't it always been like this... a ton of checks.
@BigBigBangBang: OMG, can you finish a degree with a one-year visa? Every semester you'd have to go back home to renew...
@AB_BigBubbleGum: Hey, don't take it seriously, he's just joking. There will be new ones in a few days.
@SailMorning: Trump plays a new hand every two days on average, seems like he has plenty of cards.
@LittleFangirl: Huh? Intellectual property theft??? Looks like you know nothing about power.
▶ Has China developed by "stealing" US intellectual property?
On April 6, The Daily Telegraph, the largest mainstream newspaper in the UK by circulation, published in both its print and online editions a signed article by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming titled "Adhering to Open Cooperation and Protecting Intellectual Property," refuting the US allegations that China "steals" intellectual property.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming focused on three aspects: "China's innovation achievements attract worldwide attention, China's level of intellectual property protection is constantly improving, and international cooperation on intellectual property is deepening." He listed indisputable facts and data and presented a persuasive argument. The article clearly pointed out that the US practice of suppressing China's scientific and technological innovation under the pretext of "forced technology transfer" to foreign companies investing in China, in order to protect its own industries, is completely wrong.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said that the US is an innovative country, but innovation is not a US "patent." Over the 40 years of reform and opening up, China has become highly integrated with the world. "Made in China" and "Created in China" are widely welcomed, and "Chinese innovation" is in full swing. The Chinese economy has shifted from a phase of high-speed growth to high-quality development, with "innovation-driven" becoming one of the main engines of China's economic growth. China's achievements in intellectual property protection are also evident for all to see.
"If one wishes to establish oneself, one must help others to establish themselves; if one wishes to achieve success, one must help others to achieve success." China is firmly implementing an innovation-driven development strategy and steadfastly protecting intellectual property. China-UK and China-EU science and technology innovation cooperation is highly complementary and has broad prospects. Cooperation in the field of intellectual property protection has progressed well, with significant results in areas such as legal policy, data exchange, IT tools, and personnel training. We are willing to continue working with all countries to adhere to open cooperation, protect intellectual property, and promote scientific and technological innovation for the benefit of people around the world.
