Are Chinese students in US a threat?

FBI chief's claim in hearing condemned as 'irresponsible' racial generalization

Recent testimony at a congressional hearing singling out Chinese students and scholars as a threat to US national security has prompted a strong response by Chinese-American politicians and other groups.

The comments were made last week in Washington during the US Senate Intelligence Committee's annual open hearing on the greatest threats facing the US. During the session, a host of intelligence community leaders shared concerns about dangers around the globe.

US Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida who ran for president in 2016, and FBI Director Christopher Wray discussed whether Chinese students in the US could be covertly gathering intelligence for their government back home.

At one point Rubio asked, "What … is the counterintelligence risk posed to US national security from Chinese students, particularly those in advanced programs in the sciences and mathematics?"

Wray responded that Chinese students and scholars pose a national security threat that requires "a whole-of-society response by us".