A group of Republican senators has called on the Department of Energy to ban Chinese nationals from accessing U.S. national laboratories, citing concerns over potential threats to American artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and national security. The letter, sent by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah), Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), and several other senators, was addressed to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
The senators argue that the presence of Chinese foreign nationals in American labs could compromise the Genesis Mission, an initiative launched last November via executive order by President Trump. The mission aims to secure U.S. leadership in AI technology by leveraging expertise across the Department of Energy’s seventeen national laboratories.
In their letter, the senators wrote: “Genesis Mission was launched to help the U.S. win the race with China for AI supremacy by harnessing untapped prowess in this space at our national laboratories. Continuing to give access to the cutting-edge work performed at these laboratories to Chinese nationals who will turn everything they know over to the CCP directly undermines the purpose of Genesis Mission. Therefore, we respectfully recommend that you mitigate threats to Genesis Mission by promulgating a policy prohibiting the national laboratories from granting Chinese nationals access to any national laboratory site, information, or technology.”
The lawmakers expressed support for President Trump’s efforts on AI and emphasized that America’s scientific progress and security depend on winning what they describe as a global technology race against China. They noted that in fiscal year 2024, about 3,200 Chinese nationals were approved for access to lab sites or technologies within U.S. national laboratories—a figure not including those with legal permanent resident status.
According to the senators, current vetting procedures are insufficient due to both capacity constraints within the Department of Energy’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence and difficulties in identifying affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They also highlighted concerns that individuals may be compelled by Beijing authorities to share sensitive information acquired during their time at U.S. facilities.
“The best way to protect Genesis Mission, and the rest of the important work done throughout the labs, is to put an end to Chinese national scientists and researchers working at them,” they concluded.
The full text of their letter is available online.
