NASA has begun prohibiting Chinese citizens with valid visas from participating in its programs, highlighting the intensifying competition in the space race between the two countries, reported AFP.

The policy change was first reported by Bloomberg News and confirmed by the U.S. agency.

“NASA has taken internal measures concerning Chinese citizens, including restricting physical and cyber access to our facilities, materials, and networks, to ensure the security of our work,” said NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens.

According to Bloomberg, Chinese citizens were previously allowed to work as contractors or students involved in research, but not as agency employees.

On September 5, however, several individuals reported being suddenly blocked from IT systems and barred from in-person meetings. They wished to remain anonymous.

This comes amid growing anti-Trump and anti-China rhetoric during the administration of President Donald Trump. The U.S. and China are competing to send crews to the Moon.

The American Artemis program, a continuation of the Apollo landings from 1969–1972, plans a landing in 2027 but is facing cost overruns and delays.

China, for its part, aims to land its “taikonauts” by 2030 and has recently achieved better schedule adherence.

“Now we are in a second space race,” said NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy at a press conference regarding findings from the American Mars rover.

“The Chinese want to get back to the Moon before us. That will not happen. America has led in space in the past and will continue to lead in the future.”

China is also aiming to become the first country to return a sample from the surface of Mars, with a robotic mission planned for launch in 2028 and rock return as early as 2031.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has signaled through its budget proposal that it wants to cancel the planned Mars Sample Return mission, a joint project with the European Space Agency.

It has hinted that the task could be carried out through a crewed mission, although no specific details have been provided so far. | BGNES