US officials accuse students from Russia, Iran and China of spying
Iran, Russia and China use US-educated students to steal military secrets, as well as confidential information about the latest technology from universities and research centers.
The statement was made by a senior official of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a speech on crime among immigrants, according to the Washington Examiner.
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| Ohio University, USA. Photo: AP |
“The threat from hostile nations using illicit means to exploit legitimate research and educational opportunities in the United States, many of which are funded by taxpayers,” said Louis Rodey, acting director of national security investigations.
As Rodey said in a Senate Finance Committee hearing, his department is aware that “these countries are actively pursuing various schemes to illegally seize, transfer military or dual-use technologies and products, and use a variety of methods to circumvent U.S. export control laws.”
A large number of ongoing investigations involve the distribution of export-controlled products, including intangible exports — that is, the transfer of technical data outside the United States or the transfer of documents to foreign nationals in the United States — involving China, Iran, and Russia.
In his Senate speech, he also added that students coming to the US from countries considered traditional rivals "make up a significant proportion of the foreign student population."
“Using the U.S. scientific community and research institutions is just one of many ways these countries gain access to private research information and technology that is subject to export controls and quickly moves it abroad. These countries are attempting to seize that information — in many cases illegally and destructively — to enhance their own military capabilities and achieve economic goals, often to the detriment of U.S. national security,” Rodey said.