US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the US plans to begin an "aggressive" revocation of visas for Chinese students, demonstrating the Trump administration's commitment to tightening controls on foreigners studying at American universities. This was reported by Bloomberg, reports UNN.
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Rubio said that among the students who will be affected are "those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." He also added that the US will tighten controls "on all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong."
In 2024, China had the second largest number of students in the US after India. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside of business hours.
The decision was made just weeks after the US and China agreed to a truce in their tariff war. The issue of visa cancellation may now become another hot topic between the world's two largest economies, potentially undermining the progress made in resolving trade.
Foreign students sue the Trump administration over visa cancellations15.04.25, 00:23 • [views_6841]
The unfriendly move by the US will also exacerbate tensions over China's sale of sophisticated microchips and Beijing's determination to restrict US access to rare earth metals, which has not subsided even after the breakthrough agreement in Geneva to drastically reduce tariffs for 90 days, as officials are trying to reach a broader agreement during the preferential period.
These actions are aimed at building a wall between the two countries. I don't think it will help facilitate future trade negotiations between the two sides.
The White House's new decision against students and science comes after Rubio ordered US embassies around the world to suspend student visa interviews. As the administration considers strengthening the verification of applicants' profiles on social media. This is another attempt by President Donald Trump to restrict the entry of foreign students to American schools over claims that they may pose a threat to US national security.
The White House has launched a serious war on universities, which initially focused on elite universities such as Harvard and Columbia, due to anti-Semitism. This has escalated into an even greater attack on the role of US higher education and foreign students, whose tuition is an important source of revenue for schools across the country.