Latest news with #Harvard-educated
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
China ‘firmly rejects' Donald Trump's accusations on breach of trade deal
China's commerce ministry on Monday 'firmly rejected' claims made by US President Donald Trump that Beijing had violated a consensus to roll back tariffs agreed upon during talks in Geneva, reported Reuters. The ministry stated that Trump's claims were 'groundless' and rejected the 'unreasonable accusations' in connection with a deal reached between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to lower the massive tariffs imposed amid a trade war between the two countries. Also Read: Who is Xi Mingze? Xi Jinping's Harvard-educated daughter in news as Trump goes after student visas China's commerce ministry said, '[Washington] has made bogus charges and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is seriously contrary to the facts.' They added, 'China has seriously, strictly implemented and actively upheld the consensus reached during the talks with the US in Geneva. China is firm in safeguarding its rights and interests, and it is honest in implementing the consensus.' Beijing also accused the US of unilaterally introducing new discriminatory restrictions, including new guidelines on AI chip export controls, curbs on chip design software sales to China and the revocation of Chinese student visas. Also Read: Team Trump uses India-Pak ceasefire to justify tariffs, court rejects defence 'If the US insists on its own way and continues to damage China's interests, China will continue to take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,' the ministry said, urging the US to correct their 'wrong practices.' On Friday, Donald Trump had stated in a post on TruthSocial that he would no longer be 'Mr. Nice Guy' with China after they had violated the trade deal, though he did not specify the nature of the breach. Later, during a briefing in the Oval Office, Trump said he plans to talk with Xi Jinping and work out a solution to the issue.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Trump administration orders extra vetting of all Harvard-bound visa applicants
The US State Department directed all consular missions worldwide to start additional vetting of visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Friday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed the immediate start of "additional vetting of any non-immigrant visa applicant seeking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose," the cable said. The directive, which was issued on May 30, encompasses a broad spectrum of individuals, including prospective and current students, faculty, staff, contractors, guest speakers, and visitors, all seeking to enter the United States for any purpose. Also Read | Deportation risk for 5,00,000 immigrants as SC clears way for Trump to end their parole Harvard University failed to maintain "a campus environment free from violence and anti-Semitism", the cable said. The objective of the directive is to help consular officers identify visa applicants "with histories of anti-Semitic harassment and violence." The order also directs consular officers to consider questioning the credibility of the applicant if the individual's social media accounts are private and instructs them to ask the applicant to set their accounts to public. Also Read | Donald Trump says China 'totally violated' trade agreement: 'So much for being Mr Nice Guy!' "If you are not personally and completely satisfied that the applicant, during his time in the United States, will engage in activities consistent with his nonimmigrant visa status, you should refuse the visa...," the cable said. This recent move marks a significant expansion of President Donald Trump's crackdown against the academic institution and signals a broader strategy by the Trump administration to exert pressure on Harvard University. The university has been subjected to various punitive measures, including the freezing of federal grants, threats to revoke its tax-exempt status, and investigations into alleged employment discrimination practices. Also Read | Who is Xi Mingze? Xi Jinping's Harvard-educated daughter in news as Trump goes after student visas The Trump administration has launched a multifront attack on the nation's oldest and wealthiest university, freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding, proposing to end its tax-exempt status and opening an investigation into whether it discriminated against white, Asian, male or straight employees or job applicants. In a dramatic escalation, his administration last week revoked Harvard's ability to enrol foreign students, a move later blocked by a federal judge. Also Read | Trump administration gives Harvard 30-day respite amid foreign student row In cases where applicants' social media accounts are private, officers are advised to request that they be made public to facilitate thorough evaluation. Meanwhile, Harvard argues the Trump administration is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to its demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students. (with Reuters inputs)
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Xi Mingze? Xi Jinping's Harvard-educated daughter in news as Trump goes after student visas
Xi Mingze, China President Xi Jinping's Harvard-educated daughter, has been hitting headlines amid US President Donald Trump's actions against the premiere Ivy Leage institute over its non-compliance with his terms and conditions and subsequent grant cuts. What has further brought Xi Mingze under spotlight is the US-China trade tension, amid which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that United States will start "aggressively" revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. Xi Jinping's daughter Xi Mingze maintains a low public profile, with limited information available about her personal life. Xi Mingze was born on June 25, 1992, and is the only child of Chinese President Xi Jinping and renowned folk singer Peng Liyuan, according to information available on the web. Xi Mingze pursued higher education at Harvard University, enrolling in 2010 under a pseudonym to maintain privacy, according to unverified reports. While some reports say Xi Mingze graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and English, a Business Insider report, citing Taiwanese press, said that it is believed Xi Jinping's daughter has been studying at Harvard since 2010. According to unverified reports in the Taiwanese press, Xi Mingze is protected by Chinese bodyguards 24 hours with FBI assistance. WantChinaTimes describes Xi Mingze as "a low-key and easy-going girl, who counts reading and fashion among her hobbies". Beijing criticised the US decision to "unreasonably" revoke the visas of Chinese students, saying on Thursday it had lodged protests with Washington following the announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "The US has unreasonably cancelled Chinese students' visas under the pretext of ideology and national rights," AFP news agency quote foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning as saying. "China firmly opposes this and has lodged representations with the US," the spokeswoman said. In this context, Xi Mingze's speculated presence in the United States has garnered attention. She is reportedly residing in Massachusetts. Her situation has raised questions about her future in the US, including the possibility of deportation, although no official decision has been announced. Former US Congress representative Vicky Hartzler had in 2022 revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping's only daughter Xi Mingze is living in America. Hartzler had revealed this while she was introducing the "Protecting Higher Education from the Chinese Communist Party Act." A Chinese current affairs commentator living in the US stated on his YouTube channel in February 2022 that Hartzler divulged the fact that the Xi Mingze lives in the US. According to an ANI news agency report, the commentator pointed out that he said in 2019 that Xi's daughter has returned to the US after living in China for 5 years. Xi Mingze studied French at her high school, Hangzhou Foreign Languages School, according to the ANI report. The 2022 report mentioned that the commentator believes that Xi Mingze is still living in the same Cambridge area and is a research student there now. A Chinese man, Niu Tengyu, was reportedly detained in 2019 and sentenced to 14 years in jail over websites publishing information about Xi Jinping's daughter and other high-ranking officials in 2019.
Japan Today
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Japan to call on U.S. to minimize Harvard foreign student ban impact
The Japanese government will call on the United States to mitigate any potential impact on Japanese students enrolled at Harvard University after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration decided to revoke the prestigious institution's certification to accept international students. "There are many Japanese students at Harvard University. We are closely monitoring the situation with high interest," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, who himself is Harvard-educated, told a press conference. The Japanese government "will take the necessary response" including talking with the United States, he added. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a separate press conference that the government has asked the U.S. Embassy in Japan to provide further details in a bid to minimize the impact on Japanese students and that the Japanese Embassy in Washington will similarly seek information. According to the university, it hosts international students and scholars from over 140 countries, with 260 coming from Japan. China topped the countries for students enrolled at 2,126, followed by India at 788 and Canada at 769. The termination of Harvard's certification of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program marks an escalation of the standoff between the Trump administration and the elite institution over diversity policies and campus protests regarding the Israel-Hamas war, among other issues. The revocation means the university can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement issued Thursday. "Harvard's leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including Jewish students," the statement asserted, adding many of these "agitators are foreign students." The university said, "Harvard is committed to maintaining our ability to host our international students and scholars." © KYODO
Kyodo News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan to call on U.S. to minimize Harvard foreign student ban impact
KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2025 - 19:46 | All, World The Japanese government said Friday it will call on the United States to mitigate any potential impact on Japanese students enrolled at Harvard University after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration decided to revoke the prestigious institution's certification to accept international students. "There are many Japanese students at Harvard University. We are closely monitoring the situation with high interest," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, who himself is Harvard-educated, told a press conference. The Japanese government "will take the necessary response" including talking with the United States, he added. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a separate press conference that the government has asked the U.S. Embassy in Japan to provide further details in a bid to minimize the impact on Japanese students and that the Japanese Embassy in Washington will similarly seek information. According to the university, it hosts international students and scholars from over 140 countries, with 260 coming from Japan. China topped the countries for students enrolled at 2,126, followed by India at 788 and Canada at 769. The termination of Harvard's certification of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program marks an escalation of the standoff between the Trump administration and the elite institution over diversity policies and campus protests regarding the Israel-Hamas war, among other issues. The revocation means the university can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement issued Thursday. "Harvard's leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including Jewish students," the statement asserted, adding many of these "agitators are foreign students." The university said, "Harvard is committed to maintaining our ability to host our international students and scholars." Related coverage: U.S. eyes region-based tariffs for many nations as deadline nears 81% in Japan feel "uneasy" about Trump's 2nd presidency: poll Japanese students abroad up 1.5-fold post COVID-19 pandemic
