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Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Why the US opened its doors to Chinese students, and why Trump is closing them
President Trump's policies promise to reduce the number of students from China coming to the United States PHOTO: REUTERS Why the US opened its doors to Chinese students, and why Trump is closing them WASHINGTON - In 1987, when Haipei Shue arrived in the United States as a student, he recalls receiving the warmest of welcomes. He was a graduate student in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 'People were curious about us, inviting us to their homes, wanting to be friends,' Mr Shue said on May 29, describing an openness that defined his early years in a country then seen by many in China as a beacon of opportunity. 'It was an extraordinary time,' he said. That era of academic exchange between China and the United States, beginning in the 1970s under President Jimmy Carter as a form of soft power diplomacy, now stands in sharp contrast to the Trump administration's recent stance toward the country. The administration announced this week that it would aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or for those studying in broadly defined 'critical fields'. The administration also plans to enhance vetting of future applicants for student visas, including looking at social media posts. Those policies promise to reduce the number of students from China coming to the United States, who have been a fixture on American university campuses for decades. In 2024, there were roughly 277,000 students. The Trump administration says China exploits US universities to bolster its military and technological capabilities. And Trump officials argue that some Chinese students may pose risks of espionage and technology theft. 'We are using every tool at our disposal to know who wants to enter this country and whether they should be allowed in,' Ms Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, said. 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.' Mr To Shue, 64, now president of United Chinese Americans, a Washington DC-based civic group, the policy change stirs profound disappointment. His journey to the United States in the late 1980s was emblematic of a period of increasing friendliness between the two superpowers. Mr Shue recalled the generosity of Americans. Mr David Scott, a wealthy businessperson with ties to the Reagan administration, funded his education through a foundation. That period, Mr Shue remembered, was characterised by the bipartisan embrace of Chinese students, culminating in the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992, which granted legal residency to thousands of Chinese students in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre. 'It was overwhelming support and care and concern,' said Mr Shue, who helped push for the legislation and has long advocated easing China's authoritarian rule and increased freedom within the country. Mr Shue expressed dismay at the Trump administration's actions, viewing them as a betrayal of the US's image as a 'beacon for humanity'. The history of Chinese students in America is long and complex, dating back to the 1850s, when Yung Wing of Yale College became the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university. As Mr Robert Kapp, a retired historian of China and former president of the US-China Business Council, explained, early students sought Western knowledge to modernise China. The normalisation of US-China relations in the 1970s under President Richard Nixon and China's premier Zhou Enlai, ushered in a new era of academic exchange. Later, China agreed to send thousands of students to the US, a number that later swelled to hundreds of thousands annually. Mr Carter, Mr Kapp recalled, 'said, 'Why don't you send some students to the United States?'' And, he said, Mr Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader, responded, ''Well, how about 10,000?' – it went from there.' For China, it was a crucial step in the country's modernisation. For the US, welcoming China's students was a form of soft power. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed a surge of talented Chinese students, many of whom have made significant contributions to American academia, business, science and technology. And the makeup of the Chinese student population at American universities shifted as well, from primarily graduate students in the 1980s to a growing number of undergraduates today. 'Opening up education was important for establishing ties, for building bridges,' said professor David Bachman, an international relations expert at the University of Washington. But now, he said, 'I can imagine that there'll be very few Chinese students here in 10 years,' he said. And vice versa. As geopolitical tension between the US and China ramped up during the Covid pandemic, the number of American scholars studying in China fell to fewer than 1,000 in 2024 from about 11,000 in 2019, said Ms Rosie Levine, executive director of the US-China Education Trust. President Donald Trump's latest move, Ms Levine said, may lead Beijing to retaliate, too, further limiting the number of American students in China – and with it, she said, the United States' overall understanding of a critical global power. While acknowledging the need to address security threats, she said that US policies need nuance. 'These policies are so broad,' she said, 'that they don't give US officers the ability to effectively distinguish between individuals who pose security risks and those who are just genuinely seeking educational opportunities.' Ms Levine said she believed that the administration's focus on ties to the Chinese Communist Party also raised questions about the new vetting procedures. 'There's 99 million CCP members in China,' she said. 'Working for the Communist Party or being a member of the Communist Party is a really poor determinant of someone's intentions.' For Mr Shue, the moment is personal. After the Trump administration's announcement, he found himself unable to sleep, mulling the contrast between the United States of four decades ago and the nation he lives in today. 'It's something I can barely wrap my head around,' he continued. 'How did we deteriorate to this point where foreign students, especially those from China, are viewed as a potential liability rather than assets?' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
India.com
2 days ago
- Science
- India.com
A day on Earth could now be of 25 hours due to..., China's Three Gorges dam will now be...
Earth's rotation slowing down- Representative AI image We have been taught from the very beginning that a day on earth consists of 24 hours; however scientists have now begun to say that due to certain factors like the drifting away of moon and melting of glaciers, the duration of a day on Earth is going to increase to 25 hours. Here are all the details you need to know about the possible changes in duration of a day on earth in the future. US Scientists on 25 hour theory According to University of Wisconsin-Madison research, the Moon is drifting away from Earth at 3.8 cm per year and the drifting of moon could make Earth's days last 25 hours in about 200 million years. Stephen Meyers, a professor at the geoscience department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was quoted as saying by a Live Mint report that the gravitational interactions between the Earth and the Moon could be a primary cause behind the slowing of Earth's rotation. 'As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out,' said Meyers. One more reason that is mentioned by many reports, causing the slowing down of Earth's rotation is the melting of glaciers, causing a significant redistribution of Earth's mass, gradually reducing the speed of Earth's rotation down over time. Media reports also state that China's Three Gorges Dam, built on the Yangtze River, is also one of the reasons why Earth is not able to rotate to its full speed, causing an increase in the day duration of earth. Therefore, the duration of a day on earth might increase from 24 hours to 25 hours in the years to come. Scientists say that the change in duration of a day on Earth won't be noticeable in our lifetimes. Instead, it only reflects how planetary dynamics and gravitational forces continue to shape Earth's behavior over geological time.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
What we know — and don't know — about who will be able to get COVID-19 shots
Want a COVID-19 vaccination this fall? For many Americans, it's not clear how easy it will be to get one – or if they've lost the choice. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a longtime anti-vaccine activist, said this week that the shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, usurping a decision normally made by scientific experts, not political appointees . The announcement follows an earlier Trump administration step to limit COVID-19 vaccinations among healthy people under age 65. Until now, the U.S. – following guidance from independent experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older. Together, the moves have left health experts, vaccine makers and insurers uncertain about what to advise and what comes next. 'It's going to add a lot of confusion overall,' said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. How can I get a COVID-19 shot for myself or my healthy child? Some of this season's vaccine is still available. Insurance industry experts say if people had insurance coverage before Kennedy's announcement, it's highly unlikely that would have ended instantly based on the secretary's video announcement. That means if someone could find a shot, they'd likely be able to get one for now. Will I still be able to choose a shot in the fall for myself or my child? Who will be able to get what vaccines this fall is still unclear. Vaccine manufacturers plan to issue updated COVID-19 shots in the late summer or fall. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it plans to limit approval of seasonal shots to seniors and others at high risk, pending more studies of everyone else. Even if the U.S. approves vaccines only for certain groups, it still may be possible for others to get the shot depending on the outcome of upcoming advisory meetings, regulatory moves and decisions from insurers and employers. Will my insurance still pay? Insurers base coverage decisions on the recommendations of that CDC panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It's not clear what role that panel now will play. Paying out of pocket could cost about $200. But some insurers and employers may decide to still cover the shots regardless of the new recommendations, said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the non-profit KFF, which studies health care issues. She noted that they may view the expense as worthwhile if it avoids a higher bill from someone hospitalized by the coronavirus. What's considered increased risk? The FDA published a list of health conditions it said would qualify, including asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. The CDC has a more extensive list. But, again, it isn't yet known how this will play out. For example, it could be hard for people to prove they're qualified. If they're vaccinated at a drugstore, for instance, the pharmacist wouldn't normally know about underlying health problems or even ask. Kates said it's unclear whether Kennedy's move would affect whether doctors recommend the shot. And Sethi, the UW-Madison expert, said 'this elephant in the room' is that blocking vaccination to the healthy may mean people who have a risk factor and simply don't know it will miss out. Adding to the confusion, the FDA included pregnancy and recent pregnancy on the list of conditions that would qualify someone for a shot — but Kennedy said that pregnancy was no longer a qualification in his announcement this week. COVID-19 complications during pregnancy can include preterm birth as well as serious illness in the mother, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said it 'strongly reaffirms' its recommendation for vaccination during pregnancy. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Will you be able to get a COVID-19 shot? Here's what we know so far
Want a COVID-19 vaccination this fall? For many Americans, it's not clear how easy it will be to get one – or if they've lost the choice. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a longtime anti-vaccine activist, said this week that the shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, usurping a decision normally made by scientific experts, not political appointees. The announcement follows an earlier Trump administration step to limit COVID-19 vaccinations among healthy people under age 65. Until now, the U.S. – following guidance from independent experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older. Together, the moves have left health experts, vaccine makers and insurers uncertain about what to advise and what comes next. 'It's going to add a lot of confusion overall,' said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. How can I get a COVID-19 shot for myself or my healthy child? Some of this season's vaccine is still available. Insurance industry experts say if people had insurance coverage before Kennedy's announcement, it's highly unlikely that would have ended instantly based on the secretary's video announcement. That means if someone could find a shot, they'd likely be able to get one for now. Will I still be able to choose a shot in the fall for myself or my child? Who will be able to get what vaccines this fall is still unclear. Vaccine manufacturers plan to issue updated COVID-19 shots in the late summer or fall. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it plans to limit approval of seasonal shots to seniors and others at high risk, pending more studies of everyone else. Even if the U.S. approves vaccines only for certain groups, it still may be possible for others to get the shot depending on the outcome of upcoming advisory meetings, regulatory moves and decisions from insurers and employers. Will my insurance still pay? Insurers base coverage decisions on the recommendations of that CDC panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It's not clear what role that panel now will play. Paying out of pocket could cost about $200. But some insurers and employers may decide to still cover the shots regardless of the new recommendations, said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the non-profit KFF, which studies health care issues. She noted that they may view the expense as worthwhile if it avoids a higher bill from someone hospitalized by the coronavirus. What's considered increased risk? The FDA published a list of health conditions it said would qualify, including asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. The CDC has a more extensive list. But, again, it isn't yet known how this will play out. For example, it could be hard for people to prove they're qualified. If they're vaccinated at a drugstore, for instance, the pharmacist wouldn't normally know about underlying health problems or even ask. Kates said it's unclear whether Kennedy's move would affect whether doctors recommend the shot. And Sethi, the UW-Madison expert, said 'this elephant in the room' is that blocking vaccination to the healthy may mean people who have a risk factor and simply don't know it will miss out. Adding to the confusion, the FDA included pregnancy and recent pregnancy on the list of conditions that would qualify someone for a shot — but Kennedy said that pregnancy was no longer a qualification in his announcement this week. COVID-19 complications during pregnancy can include preterm birth as well as serious illness in the mother, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said it 'strongly reaffirms' its recommendation for vaccination during pregnancy. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Will you be able to get a COVID-19 shot? Here's what we know so far
Want a COVID-19 vaccination this fall? For many Americans, it's not clear how easy it will be to get one – or if they've lost the choice. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a longtime anti-vaccine activist, said this week that the shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, usurping a decision normally made by scientific experts, not political appointees. The announcement follows an earlier Trump administration step to limit COVID-19 vaccinations among healthy people under age 65. Until now, the U.S. – following guidance from independent experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older. Together, the moves have left health experts, vaccine makers and insurers uncertain about what to advise and what comes next. 'It's going to add a lot of confusion overall,' said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Some of this season's vaccine is still available. Insurance industry experts say if people had insurance coverage before Kennedy's announcement, it's highly unlikely that would have ended instantly based on the secretary's video announcement. That means if someone could find a shot, they'd likely be able to get one for now. Who will be able to get what vaccines this fall is still unclear. Vaccine manufacturers plan to issue updated COVID-19 shots in the late summer or fall. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it plans to limit approval of seasonal shots to seniors and others at high risk, pending more studies of everyone else. Even if the U.S. approves vaccines only for certain groups, it still may be possible for others to get the shot depending on the outcome of upcoming advisory meetings, regulatory moves and decisions from insurers and employers. Insurers base coverage decisions on the recommendations of that CDC panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It's not clear what role that panel now will play. Paying out of pocket could cost about $200. But some insurers and employers may decide to still cover the shots regardless of the new recommendations, said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the non-profit KFF, which studies health care issues. She noted that they may view the expense as worthwhile if it avoids a higher bill from someone hospitalized by the coronavirus. The FDA published a list of health conditions it said would qualify, including asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. The CDC has a more extensive list. But, again, it isn't yet known how this will play out. For example, it could be hard for people to prove they're qualified. If they're vaccinated at a drugstore, for instance, the pharmacist wouldn't normally know about underlying health problems or even ask. Kates said it's unclear whether Kennedy's move would affect whether doctors recommend the shot. And Sethi, the UW-Madison expert, said 'this elephant in the room' is that blocking vaccination to the healthy may mean people who have a risk factor and simply don't know it will miss out. Adding to the confusion, the FDA included pregnancy and recent pregnancy on the list of conditions that would qualify someone for a shot — but Kennedy said that pregnancy was no longer a qualification in his announcement this week. COVID-19 complications during pregnancy can include preterm birth as well as serious illness in the mother, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said it 'strongly reaffirms' its recommendation for vaccination during pregnancy.
