Prohibiting the entry of Chinese students abroad is a stupid move to undermine the connection between China and the United States
■ Observer
The ban on foreign students and researchers in China also reflects the current rule of law and human rights environment in the United States.
On May 29, the US White House government website issued an announcement saying that some Chinese students and researchers will be banned from June 1st. According to the announcement, Chinese citizens who enter the United States to study or conduct research on F and J visas, if they are or have been employed by institutions that implement or support the military-civilian integration strategy, will study or do research in institutions that implement or support the military-civilian integration strategy Suspended and restricted from entering the United States. Except undergraduates.
Trump argued that "China has threatened the long-term vitality of the US economy and the safety of the American people by acquiring US sensitive technology and intellectual property rights," and therefore issued the ban.
On the first call of China and the US dollar on March 27, Trump also said, "The American people respect and love the Chinese people very much. Chinese students are very important to the US education. The US will protect Chinese citizens in the United States, including Chinese students." It took only two months for time to gossip and gain fat, which exposed the low political credibility of some American politicians.
Not only that, this ban also broke the rule of law and human rights in the United States. Obtaining a relevant visa originally meant that you had obtained the right to enter the United States and engage in study and research. Unless they violate local laws, their right to study and research should not be terminated. The prohibition order not only does not allow foreign students and scholars to enter the country, students and scholars currently in the United States may also be affected and deported. How can the rule of law be said?
Prior to this, it was already unbelievable that American politicians pushed to prevent Chinese students who have already obtained a student visa from enrolling in STEM courses, and the new restrictions imposed by the US on "military-civilian integration" went further. Because what is fusion, you can explain it at will. Law enforcement due to nationality is full of racial discrimination and political persecution. This is certainly the result of the Trump administration ’s political decisions, but it also reflects the current rule of law and human rights environment in the United States.
There is no doubt that the ban will cause some Chinese students and researchers trouble. But the US will not benefit from this.
Chinese students studying and studying in the United States bring an average of US $ 16 billion in income to the United States each year. Looking at China-US trade data last year, although the U.S.'s regular trade with China has a deficit, service trade has a surplus of more than $ 80 billion, of which education surplus accounts for one-fifth. Although the US ban does not involve undergraduate students, and Chinese undergraduate students contribute a large part of the education surplus, it is unreasonable to ban some Chinese students and researchers from entering China, which is enough to deter Chinese students who originally planned to study in the United States. The United States ’surplus in education against China will inevitably decline significantly in the future, which will further increase the imbalance in Sino-US trade.
Perhaps in the eyes of some people in the Trump administration, a large service surplus is no match for the loss of technology leaks. However, the history of Sino-US exchanges over the past 40 years proves that the Chinese market and non-governmental exchanges between China and the United States are an integral part of the vitality of the US economy. The no-entry order can only cause risk aversion among Sino-US trade and investment partners, increase hidden costs, and run counter to Trump's desire to maintain the long-term vitality of the US economy.
Worrying about learning American sensitive technology is the main reason why Trump issued a ban order. This is too much.
It is a fact that there is still a technological gap between China and the United States, and there are even technological gaps in some areas. Many studies have shown that the scientific and technological gap between the two countries does not stem from the application of technology, but from the gap in basic theoretical research. From this perspective, it should be admitted that it is necessary to learn the basic theoretical system of the United States.
However, this does not mean that prohibiting Chinese students and researchers from engaging in relevant research can cut down the Chinese technology tree. The technical blockade of China during the Cold War did not hinder the leap-forward progress of China's sensitive technology, and it has proved that China can achieve technological independence. What's more, China's science and technology has made great progress today, and has achieved a certain degree of leadership in 5G and other fields.
China's technological development process shows that some upstream technologies are lagging, not because of blockades, but precisely because other countries have opened up low- and mid-end technologies, while controlling high-end technologies in their own hands has made some Chinese industries dependent on technology.
There are fewer shortcuts to break the crutches that technology depends on, but for the Chinese technology tree, without crutches, we can only force us to pursue autonomy.
If these accounts are calculated clearly, a firm conclusion can be drawn: prohibiting some Chinese students and researchers from entering China is a stupid move that harms others and harms China and the United States.
□ Xu Lifan (Columnist)