The US visa system rolls out the “red carpet” for spies and aids China’s alleged efforts to steal American innovation, senators charged at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as Washington and Beijing intensify competition for dominance in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
Through its permissive legal channels, the US is “inviting, welcoming, come on in with the red carpet rolled out” people who steal military and commercial secrets, Republican Senator Ashley Moody of Florida told the Senate Judiciary Committee, adding that it keeps “her up at night.”
“We’re doing this with nations that actually have laws on the books that require their citizens to spy on us, gather intelligence, and report back,” she said. “And this is very concerning to me.”
The hearing titled Stealth Stealing: China’s Ongoing Theft of US Innovation focused on allegations that China steals US intellectual property across sectors ranging from AI to military technology. While these concerns are not new, they have gained renewed attention as the US and China remain locked in a highly competitive race for global AI supremacy.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
