Key facts
- Rep. John Moolenaar requested the Defense Department add 58 Chinese universities and 62 tech labs to the "1286 list."
- The list restricts US research funding to institutions collaborating with listed Chinese schools.
- Several targeted schools and labs focus on semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing.
- Tsinghua University, which educates China's elite, was among the requested additions.
- CEOs of Nvidia, Apple, and AMD serve on Tsinghua's business school advisory board.
Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, has urged the US Defense Department to impose research funding restrictions on 58 additional Chinese universities and 62 technology labs. The request, detailed in a letter seen by Reuters, aims to expand the "1286 list," which prohibits the department from providing research funds to entities collaborating with listed Chinese institutions.
Several of the targeted schools and labs are involved in critical fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. The Defense Department views collaboration with these listed schools as a "compliance risk" that could jeopardize US federal funding. The department is already investigating 30 US schools for potential collaborations with institutions on the existing 1286 list.
Moolenaar specifically requested the inclusion of Tsinghua University, a prominent Chinese institution that has educated many of the country's business and political leaders. Notably, chief executives from major US companies including Nvidia, Apple, and Advanced Micro Devices serve on the advisory board of Tsinghua's business school, a role intended to foster US-China corporate ties. Nvidia declined to comment, while Tsinghua, Apple, and AMD did not respond to requests for comment.