Dozens of lawmakers are urging Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to launch an investigation into possible attempts by Chinese organizations to steal research and technology from U.S. universities.
In a letter to DeVos this week, 26 members of Congress call on her to require American universities working with Huawei Technologies to turn over information on their joint projects. Huawei is a Chinese organization that provides funding for research in communications, computer science, engineering and more.
The letter from both House and Senate members including Sen. Marco Rubio, (R-Fla.), says Huawei's partnerships with more than 50 U.S. universities "threatens national security."
It comes as multiple congressional panels in recent months have explored attempts by China and other nations to spy on and steal federally funded research on college campuses, a problem facing many research universities, which have to strike a balance between being open and collaborative institutions while also protecting the work they do.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has explored restrictions on Chinese visas, among other steps, in response to allegations of intellectual property theft.
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04.26.2025