House panel requests data from USC on Chinese nationals

A subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives has sent a letter to USC requesting information on Chinese nationals taking classes at the university.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party lists its mission as working “on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and [to] develop a plan of action to defend the American people, our economy, and our values.”

In the letter addressed to Dr. Carol Folt, the committee states, “The United States is at a dangerous crossroads where the pursuit of short-term financial gains by academic institutions jeopardizes long-term global technological leadership and national security.”

It goes on to say that universities are being used as conduits for foreign adversaries to gain access to critical research and advanced technology illegally—although the letter does not provide proof or evidence to support these claims.

 “Too many U.S. universities continue to prioritize financial incentives over the education of American students, domestic workforce development, and national security. They do so by admitting large numbers of Chinese nationals into advanced STEM programs, potentially at the expense of qualified Americans,” the letter reads.

The letter calls this a “brain drain of critical expertise,” describing it as a reflection of “Beijing’s explicit strategy to leverage academia for technological advancements.”

The House committee then requests that USC provide information, including the previous universities attended by Chinese national students at USC, sources of tuition funding, the types of research being conducted, and a list of labs and research initiatives where those students currently work.

The bipartisan committee includes Rep. Young Kim (R-CA 40) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA 17).

USC has not yet stated whether it will comply with the requests but confirmed to KTLA that it received the letter and is reviewing it. University data shows 5,993 international students from China enrolled for Fall 2024.

Other universities, including Purdue, Stanford, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Maryland, and Carnegie Mellon, received similar letters.