China still targeting US-based researchers for ‘malign’ purposes, lawmakers warned

Multiple US government agencies told a House committee that security concerns should not stop efforts to retain foreign-born researchers

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There is growing political pressure for the US to sever scientific ties with China. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:00pm, 19 Dec 2025Updated: 3:14pm, 19 Dec 2025

China is still trying to recruit US-based researchers despite years of heightened scrutiny, members of Congress were told on Thursday at a hearing where multiple science agencies warned that tighter security measures must go hand in hand with efforts to retain foreign talent.

“Just in the past week, I have received three emails that were forwarded to me from researchers in the community who had been approached for recruitment by Chinese malign foreign talent recruitment programmes,” said Rebecca Keiser, acting chief of staff of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

“The fact that they were approached, even now in 2025, is extremely concerning,” she continued, adding that Beijing kept changing the names of recruitment programmes, making it difficult to enforce security measures.

The comments came during a House science committee hearing focused on protecting US research from China.

Officials from the National Institutes of Health, Nasa and Department of Energy also testified amid growing political pressure to sever scientific ties with China.

Washington has for years raised concern about state-backed programmes from China, such as the Thousand Talents Programme, which was set up in the late 2000s to draw in leading researchers from overseas.

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China still targeting US-based researchers for ‘malign’ purposes, lawmakers warned

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Multiple US government agencies told a House committee that security concerns should not stop efforts to retain foreign-born researchers

Multiple US government agencies told a House committee that security concerns should not stop efforts to retain foreign-born researchers