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Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Trump says Chinese students in US will ‘be ok'
US President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday he wanted to assure Chinese international students in the country that they would be fine amid his administration's crackdown on academia. Trump's administration this week said it would specifically target permissions for Chinese students, in its latest broadside against US higher education. But when asked Friday what message he would send to Chinese college students in the country, Trump insisted: 'They're going to be ok. It's going to work out fine.' 'We just want to check out the individual students we have. And that's true with all colleges,' he told reporters. The softer tone comes after a judge on Thursday extended a temporary block on Trump's bid to prevent Harvard from enrolling international students. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed on Wednesday to 'aggressively' revoke visas to students from China. Rubio has already yanked thousands of visas, largely over students' involvement in activism critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza, but also over minor traffic violations and other infractions. The Trump administration has been in an ongoing showdown with academia, and Harvard in particular, demanding it provide a list of students that the government is interested in—something the prestigious university has declined to do. 'I don't know why Harvard's not giving us the list. There's something going on because Harvard is not giving us a list,' Trump said Friday. 'They ought to give us a list and get themselves out of trouble,' he insisted, suggesting that 'they don't want to give the list because they have names on there that supposedly are quite bad.' At graduation ceremonies this week, Harvard University President Alan Garber received a one-minute standing ovation when he called for universities to stand 'firm' in the war the Trump administration has waged against students and schools. 'We want people that can love our country and take care of our country and cherish our country,' Trump said Friday. International students on average make up just under six percent of the US university population—far below Britain, the second top destination for international students, where the figure is 25 percent.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US will not tolerate Chinese 'exploitation' of universities, theft of research, says State Dept
WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) - The United States will not tolerate "exploitation" of American universities by the Chinese Communist Party or theft of U.S. research and intellectual property, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday. In a briefing at the State Department, Bruce declined to provide numbers for how many Chinese students would be affected by a new plan to "aggressively" revoke visas announced on Wednesday, but said officials would scrutinize anyone "deemed to be a threat to the country or a problem." She declined to detail how those who pose a threat would be determined. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announcing the new crackdown, said it would target students including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or studying in critical fields. "When it comes to keeping America safe, the United States, I further can say here, 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," Bruce said. The announcement on Chinese student visa holders came after the Trump administration ordered its missions all over the world to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. Asked when appointments would come back online, Bruce did not say but recommended that applicants continue checking the U.S. visa system for new appointments.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Beijing slams Trump's visa crackdown on Chinese students as ‘political and discriminatory'
BEIJING, May 29 — Mary Yang with Shaun Tandon in Washington and Gregory Walton in Cambridge, Massachusetts Beijing reacted in fury today at the US government's vow to revoke Chinese students' visas, condemning President Donald Trump's crackdown on international scholars as 'political and discriminatory'. Trump's administration on Wednesday said it would 'aggressively' remove permissions for Chinese students, one of the largest sources of revenue for American universities, in his latest broadside against US higher education. The US will also revise visa criteria to tighten checks on all future applications from China and Hong Kong, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Blasting the US for 'unreasonably' cancelling Chinese students' visas, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing had lodged its opposition with Washington. Rubio had upped the ante after China criticised his decision a day earlier to suspend visa appointments for students worldwide at least temporarily. The Trump administration has already sought to end permission for all international students at Harvard University, which has rebuffed pressure from the president related to student protests. Young Chinese people have long been crucial to US universities, which rely on international students paying full tuition. China sent 277,398 students in the 2023-24 academic year, although India for the first time in years surpassed it, according to a State Department-backed report of the Institute of International Education. Trump in his previous term also took aim at Chinese students but focused attention on those in sensitive fields or with explicit links with the military. Global uncertainty Beijing's Mao on Wednesday said that China urged the United States to 'safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of international students, including those from China.' Rubio has already trumpeted the revocation of thousands of visas, largely to international students who were involved in activism critical of Israel. A cable signed by Rubio on Tuesday ordered US embassies and consulates not to allow 'any additional student or exchange visa... appointment capacity until further guidance is issued' on ramping up screening of applicants' social media accounts. On Wednesday, Rubio heaped pressure on China, saying Washington will 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. 'We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong,' he said. But the slew of measures also threaten to pressure students from countries friendly to the United States. In Taiwan, a PhD student set to study in California complained of 'feeling uncertain' by the visa pause. 'I understand the process may be delayed but there is still some time before the semester begins in mid-August,' said the 27-year-old student who did not want to be identified. 'All I can do now is wait and hope for the best.' Protests at Harvard Trump is furious at Harvard for rejecting his administration's push for oversight on admissions and hiring, amid the president's claims the school is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and 'woke' liberal ideology. A judge paused the order to bar foreign students pending a hearing scheduled for Thursday, the same day as the university's graduation ceremony for which thousands of students and their families had gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The White House has also stripped Harvard, as well as other US universities widely considered among the world's most elite, of federal funding for research. 'The president is more interested in giving that taxpayer money to trade schools and programmes and state schools where they are promoting American values, but most importantly, educating the next generation based on skills that we need in our economy and our society,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News. Some Harvard students were worried that the Trump administration's policies would make US universities less attractive to international students. 'I don't know if I'd pursue a PhD here. Six years is a long time,' said Jack, a history of medicine student from Britain who is graduating this week and gave only a first name. Harvard has filed extensive legal challenges against Trump's measures. — Reuters
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Trump administration to revoke student visas from Chinese students
Marco Rubio has ordered US embassies to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as the state department prepares to undertake social media vetting.
