Dutch Government Considers Screening International Students Amid Concerns Over Chinese Ties to Communist Regime
The Dutch government is considering screening international students in high-tech programs for potential risks to national security. The move comes after several universities reduced their intake of Chinese students, with concerns arising over their ties to the Communist regime.
The China Scholarship Council (CSC) provides funding for Chinese students to study abroad, but there are concerns among Dutch authorities that they may pose a risk to national security. Scholarship recipients must swear allegiance to the Communist Party, return to China within two years of completing their studies, and report to the Chinese embassy in the country where they study.
The development is the latest sign of a tougher stance that EU countries have adopted on perceived security and economic threats posed by Beijing after decades of overture.
Limiting International Participation
Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf has said that he is considering limiting international participation in some programs to address concerns raised by universities. The targeted use of grant programs to obtain high-quality knowledge and technologies for the state is undesirable, according to Dijkgraaf.
“My ministry will set up a study to see how many CSC researchers there are in the Netherlands and what fields they are active in,” he said. “I will report to parliament this year and am preparing a law on knowledge security screening.”
Sensitive Technologies
The risk areas, sensitive technologies, are currently being mapped, and screening will be risk-oriented, Dijkgraaf added, stating that the assessments would apply to all non-EU countries.
The Dutch minister rejected the idea that there was a specific policy “to exclude Chinese students or to discourage cooperation with Chinese institutes or researchers in sensitive fields.”
Washington Pressure
However, pressure from Washington is mounting for Dutch authorities to limit the transfer of advanced technology to China. Recently, the announcement was made that ASML, one of the leading manufacturers of advanced silicon chip-making machines, would require an export license.
China May Source Knowledge from Dutch Universities
Speaking in an interview, Liesje Schreinemacher, the Dutch trade minister, said that China could try to evade controls by instead sourcing knowledge from Dutch universities. “We need China for our R&D and also for our green transition. But we also need to see which students from which countries we allow access to all research,” she said.
Decrease in CSC Student Acceptance
Delft University of Technology, Maastricht University, and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) are among the institutions reducing the number of CSC students they accept.
Robert-Jan Smits, president of TU/e, said, “What I see happening is that gradually all Dutch universities will reduce the number of students from China and also reduce research cooperation with their Chinese counterparts.”
China’s Response
China’s foreign ministry said that it hoped the situation would not be “politicized and stigmatized.” Since the CSC “has not yet established branches abroad,” it has “entrusted Chinese consulates to provide services and advice to scholars. . . This meets common international practice.”
Summary
Dutch universities have reduced the number of Chinese students accepted into high-tech programs due to their ties to the Communist regime. The China Scholarship Council (CSC) provides funding for Chinese students to study abroad, but there are concerns among Dutch authorities that they may pose a risk to national security. Consequently, the Dutch government is considering screening all international students in high-tech programs for potential risk. However, Dutch authorities deny that there is a specific policy to exclude Chinese students or discourage cooperation with Chinese institutes regarding sensitive technologies.
Pressure is mounting from Washington for Dutch authorities to limit the transfer of advanced technology to China. Recently, ASML, one of the leading manufacturers of advanced silicon chip-making machines, announced that it would require an export license. This move has raised concerns that China may try to evade controls by sourcing knowledge from Dutch universities.
In response, Dutch authorities are gradually reducing the number of students from China in all universities, leading to concerns from Chinese scholars. The Chinese government has issued a statement claiming it hopes the situation will not be “politicized and stigmatized.” They added that the CSC has not yet established branches abroad and had entrusted consulates to provide services and advice to scholars.
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The Dutch government plans to screen international students after universities barred some Chinese graduates from top tech degrees over fears they could pose a national security risk.
Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said he was considering limiting international participation in some programs after several universities said they were reducing Chinese students due to their ties to the communist regime.
It is the latest sign of a tougher stance that EU countries have adopted on perceived security and economic threats posed by Beijing after decades of overture.
Universities are concerned about students funded by the China Scholarship Council.
Scholarship recipients must swear allegiance to the Communist Party, return to China within two years of completing their studies, and report to the Chinese embassy in the country where they study. The news was first reported by the Dutch newspaper Trouw.
Dijkgraaf told the Financial Times that he shares the universities’ concerns.
“In general, the targeted use of grant programs to obtain high-quality knowledge and technologies for the state is undesirable,” the minister said. ‘I set up a study to see how many CSC researchers there are in the Netherlands and what fields they are active in.’
He will report to parliament this year, he said, and is preparing a law on knowledge security screening. “The risk areas – sensitive technologies – are currently being mapped. Screening will be risk-oriented,” she said, adding that the assessments would apply to all non-EU countries.
The Dutch minister rejected the idea that there was a specific policy “to exclude Chinese students. . . or to discourage cooperation with Chinese institutes or researchers in sensitive fields”.
However, the Hague has come under pressure from Washington to limit the transfer of advanced technology to China.
Announced that the manufacturer’s most advanced silicon chip making machines ASML would require an export license.
Liesje Schreinemacherthe Dutch trade minister, said in an interview that China could try to evade controls by instead sourcing knowledge from Dutch universities.
“If you want a certain technology, you try to buy it first. If that doesn’t work, try investing. If that doesn’t work, you send people to technology institutions to get the technology or to get knowledge about that technology.
“We need China for our R&D and also for our green transition. But we also need to see which students from which countries we allow access to all research,” she said.
Delft University of Technology, Maastricht University and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) are among the institutions reducing the number of CSC students they accept.
“What I see happening is that gradually all Dutch universities will reduce the number of students from China and also reduce research cooperation with their Chinese counterparts,” said Robert-Jan Smits, president of TU/e.
“The Dutch government is calling on universities to take a more restrictive approach and take better care of their crown jewels,” he added.
China’s foreign ministry said it hoped the situation would not be “politicised and stigmatised”.
“China-Netherlands cooperation on educational exchanges has developed well in recent years,” the ministry said.
Since the China Scholarship Council “has not yet established branches abroad,” the ministry added, it has “entrusted Chinese consulates to provide services and advice to scholars. . . This meets common international practice.”
Additional reporting by Alice Hancock in Brussels and Yuan Yang in London
https://www.ft.com/content/8609b715-aa2b-41b3-a0db-d0269bb6bd25
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