The U.S. State Department has announced plans to shorten the length of stay for some visas given to Chinese citizens. The move is part of an effort by the administration of President Donald Trump to protect U.S. intellectual property.The changes are expected to begin June 11. The State Department said that, under the new policy, U.S. consular officials giving visas may limit how long students can stay in the U.S. Currently, officials give visas for the maximum length of time possible.

The State Department did not provide more details. However, a U.S. official told the Associated Press, or AP, that U.S. embassies and consulates were informed that some Chinese graduate students will be limited to one-year visas. This will be the case if the Chinese students are studying fields like robotics, aviation and high technology manufacturing. China has identified these fields as most important for its “Made in China 2025” manufacturing plan.

The report said some Chinese citizens seeking visas would also need special approval from several U.S. agencies. This would be the case if they work as researchers or supervisors for companies that require higher levels of security. Approvals are expected to take months for each visa application, the official said.

The official who gave AP the information did not want to be identified. However, the State Department said that the visa application process itself will not change.

The changes are expected as the Trump administration seeks to limit some of China’s methods related to trade. These include information related to important industries that China wants to strongly influence.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration threatened to place a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion in Chinese goods. It said the import taxes are a reaction to China’s unfair trade methods especially those related to intellectual property.

Aliqismet BADALOV,

“Khalq qazeti”