The United States plans to begin to revoke visas from Chinese students, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, intensifying the Trump government’s initiative to increase control over foreign universities.
Rubio stated in a statement that affected students will include “those with calls to the Chinese Communist Party or are studying in critical areas.” The US will also reinforce the analysis of “all future visa requests from the Popular Republic of China and Hong Kong,” he added.
China was the second country with the most students in the US in 2024, behind India.
The measure was announced a day later, while the government evaluates a more rigorous screening of the candidates’ social networks. This is another effort by President Donald Trump to restrict the entry of foreign students into US schools, with the argument that they may be a threat to US national security.
The White House has fought a battle with universities, which began focused on elite institutions such as Harvard and Columbia on accusations of anti -Semitism. The offensive expanded to a broader attack on the role of higher education in the US and the presence of foreign students, whose monthly fee is an important source of revenue for institutions across the country.
Earlier, on Wednesday (28), Trump stated that Harvard should limit the presence of 15%foreign students, intensifying his campaign for political changes in the elite institution.
Continues after advertising
International students accounted for 5.9% of the total higher education population in the US, estimated at almost 19 million. In the school year of 2023-2024, more than 1.1 million foreign students came to the US, with India and China responding for about half, according to the Institute of International Education.
The number of Chinese students in the US has decreased – fell 4%to about 277,000 by 2024 – amid increased tensions between the two countries. The FBI warned that China tries to explore “deeply rooted and vital culture of collaboration and opening in US university campuses.”
The State Department is also harming the rules for foreigners seeking to enter the US more broadly, as part of Trump’s offensive against immigration. Earlier, on Wednesday, Rubio announced, including those who aim at US technology companies.
Continues after advertising
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
