Govt requires foreign tech students to submit detailed background
14:14 JST, July 20, 2021
The government has implemented tighter entry screening since this spring for foreign students studying at Japanese universities, several government sources have said.
Universities that accept foreign students must report to the Immigration Services Agency in detail about their academic and career history if their field of study in Japan involves advanced technology that can be used for weapons. The schools must also provide information about any groups or companies that are funding their studies in Japan.
The government may deny visas to people it finds suspicious for the sake of the country’s security.
The measure is aimed at preventing the outflow of advanced weapons-capable technology, with China in mind. The immigration agency will coordinate with the National Security Secretariat (NSS), the Foreign Ministry, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and others.
In the past, universities only needed to submit letters of acceptance and students’ resumes showing their last degree earned. The new system requires universities to submit documents on students who study rockets and artificial intelligence, detailing their academic and career history as well as their affiliations and contracts with any group or companies.
On top of that, the immigration agency asks universities to check any financial support from foreign countries, potential relationships between their studies and weapons development and any career plans to join a military-related company after leaving Japan. The agency will ask universities to report such data if necessary.
The government intends to identify in advance students from the so-called seven sons of national defense — a group of Chinese schools believed to work closely with the Chinese military’s weapons development — as well as those who have received large sums of money from foreign institutions for their studies in Japan. The agency will share information on people who are flagged in this way with the NSS and the Foreign Ministry and may refuse to issue visas to students under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law if it deems that they have serious problems.
According to the Justice Ministry, about 122,000 foreign students entered Japan in 2019. China topped the list at about 40%, followed by Vietnam and South Korea.
“It is the government’s policy to increase the number of foreign students, but if we fail to eliminate suspicious figures, it could hinder international joint research on advanced technology,” a senior government official said.
The United States and Australia are increasingly wary of China’s strategic use of foreign students to acquire advanced technology. On July 13, Japan, Australia, India and the United States held an online meeting on cutting-edge technologies to confirm the strengthening of cooperation.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Typhoon Kong-rey to Reach South of Japan’s Okinawa on Thursday; JWA Urges High Alert for Strong Winds, Heavy Rain
-
Typhoon Trami Forms East of Philippines, Moving Westward
-
‘Women Over 30 Would Have Uteruses Removed’; Remarks of CPJ Leader, Novelist Naoki Hyakuta Get Wide Attention
-
Typhoon Kong-rey Expected to Turn into Tropical Storm after Possible Pass Over Taiwan
-
Sapporo Sees Season’s 1st Snowfall; Snow Comes 8 Days Earlier Than Average
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Streaming Services Boost Anime Popularity Overseas; Former ‘Geeky’ Interest More Beloved Among Gen Z than 3 Major U.S. Sports
- G20 Sees Soft Landing for Global Economy; Leaders Pledge to Resist Protectionism as Trump Calls for Imported Goods Flat Tariff
- 2024 POLLS: Ruling Camp Likely to Win Lower House Majority
- Chinese Rights Lawyer’s Wife Seeks Support in Japan; Sophie Luo Calls for Beijing to Free Ding Jiaxi, Xu Zhiyong
- Chinese Social Media Still Full of Anti-Japanese Posts 1 Month After Boy’s Fatal Stabbing; Malicious Videos Gain Large Number of Views