American civil and political discourse has seen a growing number of reports about worrying Chinese governmental influence in the United States. Most recently, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence decried the “malign influence” of China in the United States, via students, politicians, and corporations acting at Beijing’s direction, and sometimes with Beijing’s money. And the White House reportedly considered a blanket denial of visas for Chinese students in America, who currently number over 350,000.