Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) has asked the U.S. Department of Defense to add 58 Chinese schools and 62 technology labs to a list linked to U.S. research funding restrictions.
Moolenaar Seeks Expansion of the 1286 List
In a letter sent to the department this month, Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, requested the additions, Reuters reported on Friday.
Several of the institutions focus on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, the letter said.
The list, known as the 1286 list, affects research funding for entities that work with Chinese universities included on it.
The Defense Department is barred from providing research funding to such entities and describes collaboration with listed institutions as a compliance risk that could put U.S. federal funding at risk.
In August, the department said it would investigate 30 U.S. schools over possible collaboration with Chinese institutions on the list.
The U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Tsinghua Has Links to US Business Leaders
Moolenaar also requested the inclusion of Tsinghua University, a prominent Chinese institution that has educated members of the country’s business and political elite.
Some U.S. business leaders, including the chief executives of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD), serve on the advisory board of Tsinghua’s business school.
The board is intended to foster ties between U.S. and Chinese companies, Reuters reported.
Earlier this year, in June, lawmakers sought information from Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) about clinical trials in China, including data protection and due diligence at research sites.
The letters cited potential security and ethical risks but stated there was no evidence that either company had engaged in illegal activity or wrongdoing.
Separately this week, a House panel raised national-security concerns about Webull Corporation (NASDAQ: BULL), citing alleged links between its ownership, technology infrastructure and China.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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