Latest news with #USEducation
South China Morning Post
14-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Is this the end of summer US study trips for Chinese children?
For two decades, it was popular for many Chinese families to send their children on 'study tours' overseas – most often to the United States – during the summer. The programmes generally involved summer camps jointly organised by American universities and language institutions, as well as visits to colleges, museums and tourist attractions. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic , around 1.3 million Chinese students spent part of their summer holidays studying overseas , according to a report by Beijing-based consultancy with the US ranked the most popular destination. The access to elite US education and an English-language environment proved to be big attractions until this year when changes in American visa policies sent a chill through families. It started last month when the administration of US President Donald Trump announced it would increase visa scrutiny of Chinese students, especially those with ties to the Communist Party or studying in 'critical fields'.
South China Morning Post
12-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Trump seems to reverse course on Chinese students in US, saying he's in favour of them
US President Donald Trump reiterated his support for Chinese students in America on Thursday and pledged to help them remain in the country after graduation, distancing himself from initiatives that his administration has announced to limit or block international students because of national security concerns. Advertisement 'I've always been strongly in favour of it. I think it's a great thing,' Trump said on Thursday, referring to Chinese nationals seeking to study in the US. 'It's also good for our schools. It's good for our country.' Trump added that he was in favour of 'letting them stay' and being hired by American companies. 'I'm all for making sure that people like that can go to work for all of our great companies,' he said. Advertisement If not allowed to remain in the US, he noted, such graduates and entrepreneurs would return to their countries and starting their businesses there.
South China Morning Post
01-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US hostility to Chinese students prompts many parents to look elsewhere
The Trump administration's recent moves to further restrict Chinese students' access to US education are sending ripples of doubt through families in China, prompting many to reconsider their children's academic futures abroad. For some, the American dream is giving way to more pragmatic alternatives closer to home or in other Western nations, as the United States' unpredictable approach to international students makes them ponder the returns on investment in their children's overseas education. The latest wave of uncertainty crashed ashore last week when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US would revoke visas for Chinese students with ties to the Communist Party or those studying in 'critical fields'. That followed an abrupt suspension of student visa interviews worldwide as the administration considers stricter vetting measures, including screening of potential students' social media posts. US president Donald Trump added to parents' concerns on Wednesday, when he proposed cutting the proportion of international students at Harvard University from 30 per cent to 15 per cent, claiming that American students were losing opportunities. That remark came just days after the Department of Homeland Security attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students, a move later halted by a federal judge. On Thursday, the Trump administration said in a court filing that it would not immediately terminate Harvard's ability to host international students, giving the university 30 days to explain why it should keep that ability.
Al Jazeera
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students: Secretary of State
The United States will 'aggressively revoke' the visas of Chinese students studying in the country, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced, as the administration of President Donald Trump continues its crackdown on foreign students enrolled at higher education institutions in the US. Rubio announced the shock move in a post on X, as well as a State Department statement published late on Wednesday, titled 'New Visa Policies Put America First, Not China'. 'Under President Trump's leadership, the US State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,' the statement said. 'We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong,' it added. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the US, behind India. Chinese students made up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the US during the 2023 – 2024 school year, at more than 270,000 in total. Al Jazeera correspondent in Beijing Katrina Yu said many Chinese students in the US come from elite backgrounds and they are 'very likely to have some Communist Party connection'. 'There are 90 million Communist Party members here in China. Most of them do not have a role in government and many of them are ordinary people,' she said. 'It is likely that students from those families have connections with the Communist Party, even though they may not be a member themselves.' The Chinese government is yet to publicly respond to the Trump administration's move. The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 28, 2025The action against Chinese students comes at a time of growing friction between Washington and Beijing after Trump accused China of exploiting the US on trade and triggered a tariff war upon returning to the White House for a second term. US House of Representatives Republicans have also deemed ties between US and Chinese academic institutions to be a threat to national security. Earlier this month, Michigan Congressmen John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg pressed Duke University in the US to end its relationship with Wuhan University in China over concerns about technology transfer. Moolenaar and Walberg claimed that the educational partnership created a 'direct pipeline between US innovation and China's military-industrial complex'. Rubio's announcement adds to more general uncertainty for international students in the US, who have faced intensifying scrutiny over recent months amid the administration's wider assault on higher education institutions. On Tuesday, the White House also temporarily suspended the processing of visas for foreign students, ordering embassies and consulates not to allow any additional student or exchange visas 'until further guidance is issued'. The State Department also said it plans to 'issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applications'. Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's approval to enrol international students. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the move, which comes in response to a tussle between the White House and Harvard over the school's handling of pro-Palestine protests and diversity programmes. This latest crackdown on foreign students also comes as Rubio and the State Department have sought to rescind hundreds of education visas over alleged minor legal infractions, political advocacy, or incendiary speech by visiting students. Many of those targets for visa revocations and arrests have been students who participated in pro-Palestine and anti-Gaza war protests that have erupted on campuses across the US since Israel's onslaught against the Palestinian territory. Others targeted by the US government are people with indirect links to Palestine or those who have shown support for the Palestinian cause on social media. The Trump administration accuses them of spreading anti-Semitism on campus – a claim students, lawyers and activists deny.
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
US to revoke visas of Chinese students tied to Communist Party and studying in critical fields
Secretary of State on Wednesday said that the US would begin to revoke the visas of Chinese students, including those connected to the Chinese Communist Party. The visas of those studying in critical fields will also be revoked, Mr Rubio said in a post on X. He said visa criteria would be revised to enhance scrutiny of all future applications from mainland China and Hong Kong. The post did not include any additional details. The National has contacted the State Department for comment. China had the second highest number of international students in the US in 2023-2024, with 277,398, according to the Institute of International Education. In that same time period, the US hosted a record 1.1 million international students. This comes after the State Department issued a directive pausing interviews for foreign students looking to come to study in the US. It is unclear how long the freeze will last, but a memo from the State Department said it was to allow for preparation to increase scrutiny of applicants' social media posts.
