The Dutch government plans to screen tech students from China studying in the country's universities over fears they could pose a threat to national security, Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Dutch minister of education, culture and science, told media on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th June, 2023) The Dutch government plans to screen tech students from China studying in the country's universities over fears they could pose a threat to national security, Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Dutch minister of education, culture and science, told media on Monday.
The universities of the Netherlands are concerned over students funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), as they reportedly swear allegiance to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, report to the Chinese embassy and return to China within two years upon getting their degrees.
"The risk areas � sensitive technologies � are currently being mapped out. The screening (of students from China) will be risk-oriented," Dijkgraaf told the Financial Times, adding that the targeted use of grants to obtain high-quality and knowledge for the state "is undesirable."
The minister said he had initiated a study to find out how many CSC students are currently doing their research in the Netherlands and in which fields.
The report will be submitted to the parliament this year, he also said, adding that the preparation of a Knowledge Security law was underway. The measures under the law will be applicable not to China only but to all non-EU states, Dijkgraaf said.
China expressed hope the situation would not become politicized, explaining the connection between Chinese students and the country's diplomatic missions with the lack of the CSC's overseas branches.
Meanwhile, some Dutch universities are already restricting the number of students from China, according to the report. Delft University of Technology, Maastricht University and Eindhoven University of Technology are among them.
The European Union and the United States have been harboring concerns over the possible transfer of sensitive technologies to China for quite some time. In April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU needs to protect sensitive technologies from leaking to China, while maintaining scientific and technological cooperation with Beijing.
