Why not, then, factor social credit scores into issuance of visas? Any Chinese visitor who surpasses a specific high threshold will no longer be eligible for multiple entrance visas or those of long duration. Chinese students want to study in U.S. universities? Chances are, if they have a high social credit score, their real interest would more likely be spying , be it on American firms or other targets, or on those fellow Chinese students who do not uphold Xi’s line overseas. During the Clinton administration, it became common for Chinese delegations to visit U.S. military facilities or receive VIP tours of U.S. aircraft carriers. Now, any Chinese citizen with a specific score should be cut-off entirely from any U.S. military facility.

But couldn’t China simply give certain spies cover with much lower social credit scores? Certainly, because this too can be an advantage. After all, if a Chinese visitor shows up at an American university or tech firm but has a low score, then it can raise red flags for investigators: how did that individual manage to purchase an airline ticket in China or receive a Chinese scholarship?

Acquiring information about social credit scores may be as easy as asking, especially with regard to individual visa applicants. But, there is no reason the U.S. officials should ever take such information at face value.