U.S. lawmakers urge adding Tsinghua University and other Chinese institutions to research funding restriction list! According to Reuters, Republican Chairman Mullin of the U.S. House Committee on the China Competition Initiative sent a letter this month to the Department of Defense requesting that an additional 58 Chinese universities and 62 Chinese technology laboratories—among them Tsinghua University—be included in the so-called "List 1286." The institutions mentioned in the letter specialize in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing.
In fact, the Department of Defense updated its "List 1286" on July 23 this year, incorporating 88 Chinese institutions. At that time, Tsinghua University’s main campus was not included—only the Tsinghua University Center for Strategic and Security Studies was listed. Mullin’s latest letter represents a request to expand the list further, adding the aforementioned 58 universities and 62 laboratories to the existing roster.
The full name of List 1286 is the "List of Foreign Research Institutions Engaged in Problematic Activities," established under Section 1286 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act and maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense. Unlike the Commerce Department’s “Entity List,” which directly restricts commercial transactions or freezes assets, List 1286 does not impose direct sanctions. However, it targets a critical resource for American academic institutions: federal research funding. To retain eligibility for such funding, U.S. universities often voluntarily sever ties with entities on the list.
Mullin is a prominent figure among U.S. congressional members advocating a hardline stance toward China, and he has pursued aggressive measures in restricting Chinese technological advancement throughout the year. This latest proposal to expand List 1286 to include 58 universities and 62 laboratories marks another step in a broader strategy aimed at isolating China’s scientific ecosystem. The specific mention of semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing underscores the intent to target China’s core capabilities in cutting-edge technological development.
U.S. scientific communities have long recognized the implications of such measures. The Association of American Universities has explicitly stated that these restrictions would hinder international collaboration, reduce research efficiency, and make it more difficult for the United States to attract global talent.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1878626335591684/
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