Chinese nationals with valid US visas are no longer able to work at one of the most prestigious space research centers since the US space agency, NASA, has barred them from entering its facilities. According to Bloomberg News, which cited sources, Chinese nationals who were only permitted to work at NASA as contractors or research students discovered on September 5 that they no longer had any access to the agency’s facilities and systems.
The use of the agency’s “facilities, materials, and networks to ensure the security of our work” would be prohibited for Chinese nationals, NASA subsequently confirmed. The US is concerned about China’s accelerating space program, which has intensified the competition between the two largest economies.
Because Washington has prohibited NASA from sharing its data with China, Chinese astronauts are already not allowed to board the ISS. Due to national security concerns, the most recent NASA ban simply serves to erode scientific cooperation between the two countries further.
Beijing and Washington are also more cautious of one another as they vie for a technical advantage. Some Chinese students, particularly those pursuing science and technology, have found it more difficult to obtain visas or, if they have one, to enter the US as a result of the suspicion. Additionally, there have been other recent examples in the United States of suspected Chinese espionage, with a focus on scientists.
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