US lawmakers urge education secretary to probe Chinese spying at American universities

Top US lawmakers have urged education secretary to launch an investigation into possible attempts by Chinese state-directed Huawei Technologies' partnerships with more than 50 top American universities that may pose a significant threat to national security and can steal research and technology from them.

In a letter to the Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, 26 members of Congress urged her to require American universities working with Huawei Technologies to turn over information on their joint projects.

Huawei is a Chinese tech giant that provides funding for research in communications, computer science, engineering and more.

The letter from both House and Senate members including Senator Marco Rubio, says Huawei's partnerships with more than 50 US universities "threatens national security."
"As Huawei describes it, the Huawei Innovation Research Programme (HIRP) provides funding opportunities to leading universities and research institutes conducting innovative research in communication technology, computer sciences, engineering, and related fields."
Recently Christopher Wray, FBI Director, said he was "deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don't share our values to gain positions of power...it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage."
Admiral Mike Rogers, then Director of the National Security Agency and Commander of United States Cyber Command, added that Government programmes need "to look long and hard at companies like this."