It may be difficult for Chinese students to study and work in the UK in the future.
The UK has always been one of the top countries for Chinese students to study in, and many Chinese students have switched to the UK after the US-China trade war. However, now Chinese students in the UK may encounter great difficulties. The Times reports that the British government will announce on Feb. 15 that it will restrict Chinese from studying or working in 44 sensitive areas and will revoke visas, affecting thousands of people.
According to the report, the British Foreign Office has informed universities that it will conduct security checks on overseas scholars and researchers studying or working in fields related to national security.
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has warned universities that “hostile state actors” are targeting U.K. academic institutions in an attempt to steal personal information, research data and intellectual property for their military, commercial and dictatorial interests.
Thousands of Chinese will be restricted from working in 44 sensitive fields, including artificial intelligence, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science and a range of engineering fields, as well as corporate research and development. Those who have already obtained visas to work in these fields will also have their visas cancelled.
Sam Armstrong, director of communications at the Henry Jackson Society, a British diplomatic think tank, noted, “For too long, British universities have blindly ignored the risks posed by spies posing as scientists and have therefore recklessly aided the military ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party. This admirably bold change by the British Foreign Office is the right response, now that the seriousness of the challenge has clearly been recognized.
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