Florida Congressman Daniel Webster has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting American research institutions from foreign influence. The Research Integrity and Foreign Influence Prevention Act seeks to amend the CHIPS and Science Act, with a focus on preventing exploitation by foreign entities.
Rep. Webster emphasized the importance of maintaining national security while fostering innovation. “American leadership and innovation must not come at the price of our national security,” he stated. He highlighted that adversaries have taken advantage of loopholes to infiltrate U.S. academic and research sectors, using territories like Hong Kong and Macau.
The proposed bill aims to address these concerns by ensuring that such regions are held accountable as they relate to their controlling countries. According to Rep. Webster, this measure would treat territories under foreign influence no differently than their governing regimes in terms of safeguarding American research.
The move comes in response to activities attributed to foreign powers, including the Chinese Communist Party, which allegedly use Special Administrative Regions for infiltration purposes.
