Latest news with #ChineseExclusionAct
American Military News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Trump administration threat to revoke Chinese student visa roils California
The Trump administration's announcement this week that Chinese students' visas would be 'aggressively' revoked has inflamed the uncertainty among the nation's international students — and in California has ignited anger among leaders in the Chinese American community who said such a targeted action is 'xenophobic.' Little has been disclosed about the administration's plan, which represents yet another salvo in President Trump's combative push to reshape higher education, which has roiled academia, disrupted campus life and spilled into courts across the country. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a social media post that the visa revocations will include 'those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,' without elaborating on what areas of study would be targeted or whether the move would apply solely to college students. Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would revoke the visas, while also revising 'visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.' Scholars and international students fear such an action could jeopardize the academic future of tens of thousands of Chinese students enrolled at colleges across the country, and threaten billions of dollars in tuition payments desperately needed by universities already facing the loss of research funding and other cuts effectuated by Trump's education policies. The potential financial fallout is of acute concern in California, where Chinese students constitute the largest international group. About 51,000 Chinese nationals in California make up more than a third of the state's nearly 141,000 foreign students. Trump's plan was widely criticized Thursday by politicians, professors and others in California and beyond. For many, Rubio's invocation of the Communist Party triggered dark recollections of past anti-Chinese policy, including 1882's Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned immigration from China. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) called the visa decision 'xenophobic,' and said it would 'only hurt America.' 'This is yet another example of the Trump administration targeting Chinese people instead of the Chinese government, assuming that every Chinese person is a pawn for the Chinese Communist Party,' Chu said. 'That is what xenophobia is all about, and it is reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act.' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a news briefing Thursday that the agency would not elaborate on the criteria that the U.S. would use in vetting visas. She said the department is thinking about 'the nature of how we keep America safe and secure and more prosperous.' Bruce raised the specter of intellectual property theft by China — a well-documented scourge that is estimated to have cost the U.S. billions of dollars. 'The United States … will not tolerate the CCP's exploitation of U.S. universities or theft of U.S. research, intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition, ' she said. '… The nature of what China has been doing with technology, stealing information, intellectual property, U.S. research, copyrights, etc. — this is not new or confusing, and this is one way that we certainly can try to mitigate that issue.' Some warn of brain drain Even as some educators questioned the administration's willingness to carry out its plan — one UCLA professor likened it to posturing designed to rattle students and scholars — others said they expected the policy to initiate a wave of departures that could touch off a major 'brain drain.' Such an exodus could hand China an advantage in the global race for supremacy in key fields including technology, defense and medicine, they said. 'The U.S. basically has succeeded by not caring what passport a brain carries — we care about the brain,' said David M. Lampton, a professor emeritus at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an expert on China. 'This is just senseless, counterproductive policy. We will drive many [Chinese scholars] away, for sure. And it will make China a more attractive place for research for some professors.' But it isn't just about China. Lampton and others said that revoking Chinese student visas will have a chilling effect on academia and could turn off the brightest minds from other countries as well. 'This is unattractive to scholars all over the world,' said Lampton, who noted that countries such as England and Germany could benefit from academics seeking safe harbor outside the U.S. The visa revocation plan, coupled with other elements of Trump's assault on universities — such as the slashing of research funding from the National Institutes of Health — will 'weaken the competitive advantage of the United States,' he said. Universities in California expressed concern. The University of California has 17,832 Chinese students across all of its campuses. Locally, USC has nearly 6,000 and UCLA has 2,208. 'The University of California is concerned about the U.S. State Department's announcement to revoke visas of Chinese students,' said Rachel Zaentz, UC senior director of strategic and critical communications. 'Chinese students, as well as all our international students, scholars, faculty and staff, are vital members of our university community and contribute greatly to our research, teaching, patient care and public service mission.' Ray Wang, a Chinese student at UCLA, said he and others 'feel kind of helpless.' 'All of us are constantly monitoring the news,' said Wang, who will graduate next month. 'I think the biggest problem is that there's no clear road map. The administration is issuing very mixed signals, and the real issue is with the inconsistency.' Chinese students are a financial boon Chinese students have been a boon for American universities, because, like other foreigners, they pay a lot more than U.S. students do. Foreign students typically pay a school's full rate and, in some cases, a special fee. At the University of California, for example, there's a nonresident fee of $34,200 per year for those entering the system. So how much do Chinese students contribute to UC coffers? With annual tuition and fees of $49,134 per Chinese student, they could pay a total of more than $876 million a year, according to an estimate calculated by The Times. And their overall economic impact, inclusive of other items such as room and board, is much higher. 'This is a significant source of income for the universities,' especially in a year with so many other financial strains, said George Blumenthal, former UC Santa Cruz chancellor and former director of the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. In the current moment, 'this will have a significant financial impact on at least the public universities in California.' Blumenthal said universities are simultaneously dealing with financial hits and stressors on multiple fronts, including state cuts related to a tight budget year, widespread cancellation of federal health- and science-research grants, and a sharp reduction of federal reimbursement for overhead costs related to research. International students reeling The Trump administration's dizzying array of executive orders and other directives focused on higher education has been especially overwhelming for international students and faculty. This week, the State Department stopped scheduling visa interviews with students from foreign countries and said it was preparing to increase the vetting of prospective international students' social media activity. 'Using social media as a valid means to identify bad foreign students also seems an inadequate and invasive tool, but part of a larger pattern of an administration bent on political cleansing,' said John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. '… It's all part of an effort to erode the autonomy and credibility of American universities, with a surprising level of intensity.' On Thursday, a federal judge extended an order that had blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to stop Harvard University from enrolling foreign students — the latest in an increasingly rancorous fight between the nation's oldest university and the federal government. But among those in L.A.'s Asian American community, the issue of the visa revocations was top of mind. Connie Chung Joe, chief executive of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, said the visa issue called to mind the Chinese Exclusion Act — 'a part of American history that has widely been denounced as racist against those of Chinese descent' because it wrongly labeled them as untrustworthy or inherently dangerous. 'It seems the administration is choosing to repeat history by implementing an immigration policy that specifically targets students of Chinese nationality without clear and justifiable cause,' she said. Wang, the UCLA student, will soon be applying for a work visa — under a cloud. He said the unpredictability of the Trump administration has left him feeling unsafe. And, he said, 'unprotected.' ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration threat to revoke Chinese student visa roils California
The Trump administration's announcement this week that Chinese students' visas would be 'aggressively' revoked has inflamed the uncertainty among the nation's international students — and in California has ignited anger among leaders in the Chinese American community who said such a targeted action is 'xenophobic.' Little has been disclosed about the administration's plan, which represents yet another salvo in President Trump's combative push to reshape higher education, which has roiled academia, disrupted campus life and spilled into courts across the country. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a social media post that the visa revocations will include 'those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,' without elaborating on what areas of study would be targeted or whether the move would apply solely to college students. Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would revoke the visas, while also revising 'visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.' Scholars and international students fear such an action could jeopardize the academic future of tens of thousands of Chinese students enrolled at colleges across the country, and threaten billions of dollars in tuition payments desperately needed by universities already facing the loss of research funding and other cuts effectuated by Trump's education policies. The potential financial fallout is of acute concern in California, where Chinese students constitute the largest international group. About 51,000 Chinese nationals in California make up more than a third of the state's nearly 141,000 foreign students. Trump's plan was widely criticized Thursday by politicians, professors and others in California and beyond. For many, Rubio's invocation of the Communist Party triggered dark recollections of past anti-Chinese policy, including 1882's Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned immigration from China. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) called the visa decision 'xenophobic,' and said it would 'only hurt America.' 'This is yet another example of the Trump administration targeting Chinese people instead of the Chinese government, assuming that every Chinese person is a pawn for the Chinese Communist Party,' Chu said. "That is what xenophobia is all about, and it is reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act." State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a news briefing Thursday that the agency would not elaborate on the criteria that the U.S. would use in vetting visas. She said the department is thinking about 'the nature of how we keep America safe and secure and more prosperous.' Bruce raised the specter of intellectual property theft by China — a well-documented scourge that is estimated to have cost the U.S. billions of dollars. Read more: Trump lawyer says U.S. plans to sue UC over antisemitism allegations "The United States ... will not tolerate the CCP's exploitation of U.S. universities or theft of U.S. research, intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition, ' she said. "... The nature of what China has been doing with technology, stealing information, intellectual property, U.S. research, copyrights, etc. — this is not new or confusing, and this is one way that we certainly can try to mitigate that issue.' Even as some educators questioned the administration's willingness to carry out its plan — one UCLA professor likened it to posturing designed to rattle students and scholars — others said they expected the policy to initiate a wave of departures that could touch off a major "brain drain." Such an exodus could hand China an advantage in the global race for supremacy in key fields including technology, defense and medicine, they said. "The U.S. basically has succeeded by not caring what passport a brain carries — we care about the brain," said David M. Lampton, a professor emeritus at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an expert on China. "This is just senseless, counterproductive policy. We will drive many [Chinese scholars] away, for sure. And it will make China a more attractive place for research for some professors." But it isn't just about China. Lampton and others said that revoking Chinese student visas will have a chilling effect on academia and could turn off the brightest minds from other countries as well. Read more: With billions at stake, California joins suit to stop Trump cuts to university science research "This is unattractive to scholars all over the world," said Lampton, who noted that countries such as England and Germany could benefit from academics seeking safe harbor outside the U.S. The visa revocation plan, coupled with other elements of Trump's assault on universities — such as the slashing of research funding from the National Institutes of Health — will "weaken the competitive advantage of the United States," he said. Universities in California expressed concern. The University of California has 17,832 Chinese students across all of its campuses. Locally, USC has nearly 6,000 and UCLA has 2,208. "The University of California is concerned about the U.S. State Department's announcement to revoke visas of Chinese students," said Rachel Zaentz, UC senior director of strategic and critical communications. "Chinese students, as well as all our international students, scholars, faculty and staff, are vital members of our university community and contribute greatly to our research, teaching, patient care and public service mission." Ray Wang, a Chinese student at UCLA, said he and others "feel kind of helpless." 'All of us are constantly monitoring the news,' said Wang, who will graduate next month. 'I think the biggest problem is that there's no clear road map. The administration is issuing very mixed signals, and the real issue is with the inconsistency.' Chinese students have been a boon for American universities, because, like other foreigners, they pay a lot more than U.S. students do. Foreign students typically pay a school's full rate and, in some cases, a special fee. At the University of California, for example, there's a nonresident fee of $34,200 per year for those entering the system. So how much do Chinese students contribute to UC coffers? With annual tuition and fees of $49,134 per Chinese student, they could pay a total of more than $876 million a year, according to an estimate calculated by The Times. And their overall economic impact, inclusive of other items such as room and board, is much higher. 'This is a significant source of income for the universities,' especially in a year with so many other financial strains, said George Blumenthal, former UC Santa Cruz chancellor and former director of the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. In the current moment, 'this will have a significant financial impact on at least the public universities in California.' Blumenthal said universities are simultaneously dealing with financial hits and stressors on multiple fronts, including state cuts related to a tight budget year, widespread cancellation of federal health- and science-research grants, and a sharp reduction of federal reimbursement for overhead costs related to research. The Trump administration's dizzying array of executive orders and other directives focused on higher education has been especially overwhelming for international students and faculty. Read more: S. Jack Hu, University of Georgia provost, named UC Riverside chancellor amid steep challenges This week, the State Department stopped scheduling visa interviews with students from foreign countries and said it was preparing to increase the vetting of prospective international students' social media activity. "Using social media as a valid means to identify bad foreign students also seems an inadequate and invasive tool, but part of a larger pattern of an administration bent on political cleansing," said John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. "... It's all part of an effort to erode the autonomy and credibility of American universities, with a surprising level of intensity." On Thursday, a federal judge extended an order that had blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to stop Harvard University from enrolling foreign students — the latest in an increasingly rancorous fight between the nation's oldest university and the federal government. But among those in L.A.'s Asian American community, the issue of the visa revocations was top of mind. Connie Chung Joe, chief executive of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, said the visa issue called to mind the Chinese Exclusion Act — 'a part of American history that has widely been denounced as racist against those of Chinese descent' because it wrongly labeled them as untrustworthy or inherently dangerous. 'It seems the administration is choosing to repeat history by implementing an immigration policy that specifically targets students of Chinese nationality without clear and justifiable cause,' she said. Wang, the UCLA student, will soon be applying for a work visa — under a cloud. He said the unpredictability of the Trump administration has left him feeling unsafe. And, he said, "unprotected." Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump administration threat to revoke Chinese student visa roils California
The Trump administration's announcement this week that Chinese students' visas would be 'aggressively' revoked has inflamed the uncertainty among the nation's international students — and in California has ignited anger among leaders in the Chinese American community who said such a targeted action is 'xenophobic.' Little has been disclosed about the administration's plan, which represents yet another salvo in President Trump's combative push to reshape higher education, which has roiled academia, disrupted campus life and spilled into courts across the country. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a social media post that the visa revocations will include 'those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,' without elaborating on what areas of study would be targeted or whether the move would apply solely to college students. Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would revoke the visas, while also revising 'visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.' Scholars and international students fear such an action could jeopardize the academic future of tens of thousands of Chinese students enrolled at colleges across the country, and threaten billions of dollars in tuition payments desperately needed by universities already facing the loss of research funding and other cuts effectuated by Trump's education policies. The potential financial fallout is of acute concern in California, where Chinese students constitute the largest international group. About 51,000 Chinese nationals in California make up more than a third of the state's nearly 141,000 foreign students. Trump's plan was widely criticized Thursday by politicians, professors and others in California and beyond. For many, Rubio's invocation of the Communist Party triggered dark recollections of past anti-Chinese policy, including 1882's Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned immigration from China. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) called the visa decision 'xenophobic,' and said it would 'only hurt America.' 'This is yet another example of the Trump administration targeting Chinese people instead of the Chinese government, assuming that every Chinese person is a pawn for the Chinese Communist Party,' Chu said. 'That is what xenophobia is all about, and it is reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act.' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a news briefing Thursday that the agency would not elaborate on the criteria that the U.S. would use in vetting visas. She said the department is thinking about 'the nature of how we keep America safe and secure and more prosperous.' Bruce raised the specter of intellectual property theft by China — a well-documented scourge that is estimated to have cost the U.S. billions of dollars. 'The United States ... will not tolerate the CCP's exploitation of U.S. universities or theft of U.S. research, intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition, ' she said. '... The nature of what China has been doing with technology, stealing information, intellectual property, U.S. research, copyrights, etc. — this is not new or confusing, and this is one way that we certainly can try to mitigate that issue.' Even as some educators questioned the administration's willingness to carry out its plan — one UCLA professor likened it to posturing designed to rattle students and scholars — others said they expected the policy to initiate a wave of departures that could touch off a major 'brain drain.' Such an exodus could hand China an advantage in the global race for supremacy in key fields including technology, defense and medicine, they said. 'The U.S. basically has succeeded by not caring what passport a brain carries — we care about the brain,' said David M. Lampton, a professor emeritus at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an expert on China. 'This is just senseless, counterproductive policy. We will drive many [Chinese scholars] away, for sure. And it will make China a more attractive place for research for some professors.' But it isn't just about China. Lampton and others said that revoking Chinese student visas will have a chilling effect on academia and could turn off the brightest minds from other countries as well. 'This is unattractive to scholars all over the world,' said Lampton, who noted that countries such as England and Germany could benefit from academics seeking safe harbor outside the U.S. The visa revocation plan, coupled with other elements of Trump's assault on universities — such as the slashing of research funding from the National Institutes of Health — will 'weaken the competitive advantage of the United States,' he said. Universities in California expressed concern. The University of California has 17,832 Chinese students across all of its campuses. Locally, USC has nearly 6,000 and UCLA has 2,208. 'The University of California is concerned about the U.S. State Department's announcement to revoke visas of Chinese students,' said Rachel Zaentz, UC senior director of strategic and critical communications. 'Chinese students, as well as all our international students, scholars, faculty and staff, are vital members of our university community and contribute greatly to our research, teaching, patient care and public service mission.' Ray Wang, a Chinese student at UCLA, said he and others 'feel kind of helpless.' 'All of us are constantly monitoring the news,' said Wang, who will graduate next month. 'I think the biggest problem is that there's no clear road map. The administration is issuing very mixed signals, and the real issue is with the inconsistency.' Chinese students have been a boon for American universities, because, like other foreigners, they pay a lot more than U.S. students do. Foreign students typically pay a school's full rate and, in some cases, a special fee. At the University of California, for example, there's a nonresident fee of $34,200 per year for those entering the system. So how much do Chinese students contribute to UC coffers? With annual tuition and fees of $49,134 per Chinese student, they could pay a total of more than $876 million a year, according to an estimate calculated by The Times. And their overall economic impact, inclusive of other items such as room and board, is much higher. 'This is a significant source of income for the universities,' especially in a year with so many other financial strains, said George Blumenthal, former UC Santa Cruz chancellor and former director of the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. In the current moment, 'this will have a significant financial impact on at least the public universities in California.' Blumenthal said universities are simultaneously dealing with financial hits and stressors on multiple fronts, including state cuts related to a tight budget year, widespread cancellation of federal health- and science-research grants, and a sharp reduction of federal reimbursement for overhead costs related to research. The Trump administration's dizzying array of executive orders and other directives focused on higher education has been especially overwhelming for international students and faculty. This week, the State Department stopped scheduling visa interviews with students from foreign countries and said it was preparing to increase the vetting of prospective international students' social media activity. 'Using social media as a valid means to identify bad foreign students also seems an inadequate and invasive tool, but part of a larger pattern of an administration bent on political cleansing,' said John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. '... It's all part of an effort to erode the autonomy and credibility of American universities, with a surprising level of intensity.' On Thursday, a federal judge extended an order that had blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to stop Harvard University from enrolling foreign students — the latest in an increasingly rancorous fight between the nation's oldest university and the federal government. But among those in L.A.'s Asian American community, the issue of the visa revocations was top of mind. Connie Chung Joe, chief executive of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, said the visa issue called to mind the Chinese Exclusion Act — 'a part of American history that has widely been denounced as racist against those of Chinese descent' because it wrongly labeled them as untrustworthy or inherently dangerous. 'It seems the administration is choosing to repeat history by implementing an immigration policy that specifically targets students of Chinese nationality without clear and justifiable cause,' she said. Wang, the UCLA student, will soon be applying for a work visa — under a cloud. He said the unpredictability of the Trump administration has left him feeling unsafe. And, he said, 'unprotected.' Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Chinese students 'anxious' and 'angry' after Rubio vows to revoke US visas
HONG KONG: Chinese students studying in the US are scrambling to figure out their futures after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that some of them would have their visas revoked. The US will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in 'critical fields" and "those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party," according to the announcement. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the US. Rubio's announcement was a 'new version of the Chinese Exclusion Act,' said Liqin, a Chinese student at Johns Hopkins University, who asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of retaliation. He was referring to a 19th-century law that prohibited Chinese from immigrating to the US and banned Chinese people already in the US from getting citizenship. He said Wednesday was the first time he thought about leaving the US after spending a third of his life here. Chinese international students are a point of tension China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, called the US decision unreasonable. 'Such a politicized and discriminatory action lays bare the US lie that it upholds so-called freedom and openness," she said Thursday, adding that China has lodged a protest with the US. The issue of Chinese students studying overseas has long been a point of tension in the bilateral relationship. In 2019, during Trump's first term, China's Ministry of Education warned students about visa issues in the US, with rising rejection rates and shortening of visas. Last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry protested that a number of Chinese students were unfairly interrogated and sent home upon arrival at US airports. Chinese state media has long hyped gun violence in the US and violent protests during the pandemic, and portrayed the US as a dangerous place that wasn't safe for its citizens. The tense bilateral relationship has also meant that some Chinese students are opting to study in the UK or other countries over the US after the pandemic. Zou Renge, a 27-year-old public policy master's student at the University of Chicago, said she had planned to take some time off and work in humanitarian aid programs abroad after graduating at the end of this year. But now, she will refrain from leaving the US and will look for jobs in the meantime. 'In a very uncertain environment, I'll try my best to find myself a solution,' she said.
Global News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
U.S. to revoke Chinese student visas, leaving some worried about futures
Chinese students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that some of them would have their visas revoked. The U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in 'critical fields' and 'those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party,' according to the announcement. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the U.S. Rubio's announcement was a 'new version of the Chinese Exclusion Act,' said Liqin, a Chinese student at Johns Hopkins University, who asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of retaliation. He was referring to a 19th-century law that prohibited Chinese from immigrating to the U.S. and banned Chinese people already in the U.S. from getting citizenship. He said Wednesday was the first time he thought about leaving the U.S. after spending a third of his life here. Story continues below advertisement Chinese international students are a point of tension China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, called the U.S. decision unreasonable. 'Such a politicized and discriminatory action lays bare the U.S. lie that it upholds so-called freedom and openness,' she said Thursday, adding that China has lodged a protest with the U.S. The issue of Chinese students studying overseas has long been a point of tension in the bilateral relationship. In 2019, during Trump's first term, China's Ministry of Education warned students about visa issues in the U.S., with rising rejection rates and shortening of visas. Last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry protested that a number of Chinese students were unfairly interrogated and sent home upon arrival at U.S. airports. 1:57 Harvard challenges foreign student ban amid escalating clash with Trump Chinese state media has long hyped gun violence in the U.S. and violent protests during the pandemic, and portrayed the U.S. as a dangerous place that wasn't safe for its citizens. The tense bilateral relationship has also meant that some Chinese students are opting to study in the U.K. or other countries over the U.S. after the pandemic. Story continues below advertisement Zou Renge, a 27-year-old public policy master's student at the University of Chicago, said she had planned to take some time off and work in humanitarian aid programs abroad after graduating at the end of this year. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy But now, she will refrain from leaving the U.S. and will look for jobs in the meantime. 'In a very uncertain environment, I'll try my best to find myself a solution,' she said. Hong Kong seeks to draw in talent amid uncertainty Some were eager to capitalize on the uncertainty facing international students in the U.S. Hong Kong's leader John Lee told lawmakers on Thursday that the city would welcome any students who have been discriminated against by American policies to study in the city. 'The students who face unfair treatment can come from different countries beyond the U.S. I think this is an opportunity for Hong Kong,' he said. 'We will work with our universities to provide the best support and assistance.' Story continues below advertisement That followed a widely shared post by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) inviting Harvard students to 'continue their academic pursuits' there after Trump said he would revoke the university's ability to accept international students. Other Hong Kong universities including the Chinese University of Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong also said they would streamline or facilitate applications from international students coming from top universities in the U.S. 3:18 Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking enrolment of foreign students Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, is a popular destination for mainland Chinese students to pursue their university degrees because of its international image and relative freedoms. The city launched a new visa scheme in 2022 to counter the exodus of expatriates and local professionals that occurred after Beijing imposed a national security law to quell dissent and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues below advertisement Will Kwong, managing director at Hong Kong's AAS Education Consultancy, said his company was helping students with offers from American universities to apply to other institutions, predominantly in Britain and Australia, so that they had alternative choices. U.S. was known for diversity and this will hurt it, students say 'Having fewer international exchanges is definitely not good for America's development,' said Zhang Qi, a postdoctoral fellow in Beijing. 'This could be a positive change for China's development. More talented individuals may choose to stay at Tsinghua or Peking University, or with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other top institutions in China, which would benefit the development of domestic science and technology.' For many, there is little they can do as they now wait for the fallout from the move. Chen, a Chinese student at Purdue University who only gave his last name out of concern for retaliation by the Trump administration, has been waiting anxiously in China for his visa approval. But he was also angry, and said this was the exact opposite of what he thought the U.S. stood for. Story continues below advertisement 'I was expecting freedom and tolerance. The U.S. was known for its diversity which allows international students to fit in, but it is a pity to see such change,' he said. —Fu Ting reported from Washington, Wu from Bangkok. Associated Press researcher Shihuan Chen and video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.
