Latest news with #VisaRevocation
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US will not tolerate Chinese ‘exploitation' of universities, theft of research
The Harvard University School of Law graduating class participates in the 374th commencement ceremonies held at the Cambridge campus. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : The US will not tolerate 'exploitation' of American universities by the Chinese Communist Party or theft of US 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 scrutinise 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 US, I further can say here, will not tolerate the CCP's exploitation of US universities or theft of US 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 US visa system for new appointments.
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Chinese Students Rattled by Trump Plan to ‘Aggressively' Revoke Visas
It had been all figured out, Cici Wang said. Summer at home in China, then back to get her master's degree in Chicago. After that, if she was lucky, a job in the United States. Now all of that is up in the air, she said, a potential casualty of a crackdown that has upended the future for more than 277,000 Chinese nationals studying in this country. 'Hopefully, I'll be fine,' said Ms. Wang, a 22-year-old aspiring computer scientist, sitting with her parents in the stately main quad of the University of Chicago on Thursday. 'But I'm not sure.' Across the country, Chinese students reeled Thursday from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement that the Trump administration would begin 'aggressively' revoking visas for Chinese students studying in the United States. More than two dozen students studying in the United States, most of whom did not want their names published for fear of retaliation, told The New York Times that they worried they could lose their academic opportunities in an instant, with little explanation. In a statement late Wednesday, the State Department announced it was focusing on those who were studying in 'critical fields' or who had ties to the Chinese Communist Party and was revising visa criteria to 'enhance scrutiny' of all future applications from China, including Hong Kong. The vague parameters had a chilling effect on Thursday as students wondered how broadly the Trump administration would apply its new criteria. Mr. Rubio did not define 'critical fields,' but science students felt particularly vulnerable because American officials have expressed concerns about the recruiting of U.S.-trained scientists by China. Nor was it clear how American officials would determine which students had ties to the Communist Party. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Rubio wants to ‘aggressively' revoke Chinese student visas. Trump officials won't say how they're vetting them
Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to ' aggressively revoke ' Chinese student visas, targeting students with 'connections to the Chinese Communist Party ' and those who are 'studying in critical fields.' His two-sentence announcement on Wednesday spared any details explaining how the administration plans to do any of that — blindsiding universities and foreign students now scrambling for guidance about what comes next. But officials won't publicly say how they're deciding whether they believe students are connected to the country's ruling party or what those 'critical fields' of study even are. 'We don't give details about what our methods are,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Thursday. 'Giving away the nature of how we choose to do things' could 'give up our hand' and undermine national security, she added. The State Department says it's scrutinizing China's 'exploitation of universities' including 'theft of research, intellectual property and technologies' exported to students' home countries, according to Bruce. 'Everyone who is here on a visa has to recognize … that America takes their visas seriously,' she said. 'Vetting is not a one-time process, it's continuing. And if things happen — you get arrested, if there's some kind of an issue — it's probably going to be seen at some point.' Chinese student visa holders 'must recognize' that the Trump administration is 'taking our national security seriously,' she added. 'And we are looking at their visas, and if everything's fine, terrific, but that will be a vetting that certainly continues and it's important clearly to the administration,' she said. Rubio's announcement on Wednesday said the 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.' '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 added. Roughly 277,000 Chinese students studied in the United States last year, making them the second-largest group of foreign students in the country. Foreign students studying in the U.S. last year contributed approximately $44 billion to the U.S. economy. The announcement also follows the Trump administration's attempt to revoke Harvard University 's ability to enroll international students — which has been blocked in court — and Rubio's order to pause any new appointments for student visas globally. The administration accused Harvard of 'coordinated activity' with China's ruling party, including 'training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide.' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the university of 'fostering violence, antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.' 'Chinese Communist Party' was emphasized in boldface. The Trump administration has launched what critics argue is a politically motivated effort to bend universities and institutions to his ideological commands, including unprecedented scrutiny, funding threats and the arrests and deportations of foreign students involved in pro-Palestine demonstrations against Israel's war in Gaza. Advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers argue the administration's latest maneuvers escalate a years-long campaign of xenophobia that now risks a serious brain drain in the U.S. 'The wholesale revocation of student visas based on national origin — and without an investigation — is xenophobic and wrong,' stated the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. 'Turning these students away — many of whom simply wish to learn in a free and democratic society — is not just shortsighted, but a betrayal of our values.' Rubio's 'sweeping policies' targeting students based on their country of origin and field of study 'mark a dangerous escalation in xenophobic rhetoric and risk undermining America's global leadership in science, research, and innovation,' according to the Asian American Scholar Forum. 'This policy threatens to dismantle the international talent pipeline that has long fueled American innovation and excellence,' according to the group's executive director, Gisela Perez Kusakawa. 'Chinese students contribute immensely to our campuses, communities, and economy,' she said. 'Treating them with blanket suspicion not only violates principles of fairness, due process, and our democratic values — it sends a chilling message to the world that America no longer welcomes global talent.' China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also called Rubio's announcement 'politicized and discriminatory.' The action 'lays bare the U.S. lie that it upholds so-called freedom and openness,' she said Thursday. Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee told lawmakers that the city would welcome students who 'face unfair treatment' in the United States. 'I think this is an opportunity for Hong Kong,' he said Thursday. 'We will work with our universities to provide the best support and assistance.' A widely shared post from Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology also invited Harvard students to the school to 'continue their academic pursuits' following Trump's threats to international student visas at the Ivy League school. Average in-state tuition at public colleges and universities is roughly $21,270, and $37,430 for out-of-state. International students pay between $874 and $5,218 more in tuition and fees than out-of-state students, according to a report from the American Council on Education, which represents leaders at 1,600 colleges and universities. Private tuition rates are thousands of dollars higher. If Rubio pulls Chinese student visas, the 'damage' to the United States could be 'enormous and hard to undo,' according to Holger Hestermeyer, Professor of international law at King's College London. 'Now imagine your family in China coughs up that money. And after two years your visa is pulled,' he wrote. 'Refunds? What happens now? And for all future students: is that a risk worth taking?'
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
US to begin ‘aggressively' revoking visas of Chinese students
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said the US will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in 'critical fields'. 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 United States. Advertisement '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,' Mr Rubio wrote. The action comes at a time of intensifying scrutiny of the ties between US higher education and China. Republicans in the House of Representatives this month pressed Duke University to cut its ties with a Chinese university, saying it allowed Chinese students to gain access to federally funded research at Duke. Last year, House Republicans issued a report warning that hundreds of millions of dollars in defence funding was going to research partnerships linked to the Chinese government, providing 'backdoor access to the very foreign adversary nation whose aggression these capabilities are necessary to protect against'. The Department of Homeland Security raised similar issues in a letter barring international students at Harvard University last week. Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of 'co-ordinating with the Chinese Communist Party' citing research collaborations with Chinese scholars. It also accused Harvard of training members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a Chinese paramilitary group. Advertisement US secretary of state Marco Rubio revealed the plans (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) The announcement came a day after Mr Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students as the department prepares guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media. Together, the announcements from the State Department added to uncertainty for America's international students, who have faced intensifying scrutiny from Mr Trump's administration. Earlier this year, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and tried to deport students who had been involved in campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. And the Trump administration abruptly terminated the legal status of thousands of international students before reversing itself and then expanding the grounds on which students can lose permission to study in the US. University of Wisconsin student Vladyslav Plyaka was planning to visit Poland to see his mother and renew his visa, but he does not know when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended. He also does not feel safe leaving the US even when appointments resume. Advertisement 'I don't think I have enough trust in the system at this point,' said Mr Plyaka, who came to the US from Ukraine as an exchange student in high school and stayed for college. 'I understand it probably is done for security measures, but I would probably just finish my education for the next two or three years and then come back to Ukraine.' The Trump administration last week moved to block Harvard University from enrolling any international students, a decision that has been put on hold by a federal judge, pending a lawsuit. Mr Trump said that Harvard, whose current student population is made up of more than a quarter of international students, should limit that percentage to about 15%. 'I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country,' Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Advertisement The action on Chinese students renews a priority from Mr Trump's first administration to clamp down on academic ties between the United States and China, which Republicans have called a threat to national security. In April, Mr Trump ordered the Education Department to ramp up enforcement of a federal rule requiring colleges to disclose information about funding from foreign sources. During his first term, the Education Department opened 19 investigations into foreign funding at US universities and found that they underreported money flowing from China, Russia and other countries described as foreign adversaries. Donald Trump's first administration made it a priority to clamp down on academic ties between the United States and China (PA) Hours before Mr Rubio announced the change, Eastern Michigan University announced it was ending engineering partnerships with two Chinese universities, responding to Republican pressure representative John Moolenaar, the Republican chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently urged Eastern Michigan and other universities to end partnerships with Chinese universities. Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid. Often, they pay full price. Advertisement Northeastern University, which has more than 20,000 international students, has set up 'contingency plans' for those who hit visa delays, said spokesperson Renata Nyul, without elaborating. 'This is a very dynamic situation, and we are closely monitoring the developments in real time to assess any potential impacts,' she said. In his announcement on China, Mr Rubio said the government will also 'revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong'. Visa applicants have been required to provide social media handles to the State Department since 2019. The additional vetting will deter students from coming to the US, said Jonathan Friedman of Pen America, a literary and free expression organisation. 'The details remain vague, but this policy risks upending the long-standing place of the US as a beacon for intellectual and cultural exchange with the world,' Mr Friedman said. The move to cut off international enrolment at Harvard stems from a dispute with the Department of Homeland Security, which has demanded that it provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Harvard says it complied with the records request, but the agency said its response fell short. On Wednesday, Mr Trump said more scrutiny of Harvard's students is necessary. 'They're taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalised, and we don't want them making trouble in our country,' Mr Trump said. The Trump administration has cut over 2.6 billion dollars in federal grants for Harvard as it presses demands for changes to policies and governance at the Ivy League school, which the president has described as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard has pushed back and filed a lawsuit against the administration.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Chinese students anxious and angry after Rubio vows to revoke visas
American flags are displayed together with Chinese flags on top of a trishaw on Sept. 16, 2018, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) HONG KONG — Chinese students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that some students 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. This is a 'new version of Chinese Exclusion Act,' said Linqin, 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 one third of his life here. Chinese international students are point of tension between U.S. and China 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 the 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. During Trump's first term, in 2019, 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 have been unfairly interrogated and sent home upon arrival at U.S. airports. 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. 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 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.' 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. 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. Multiple Hong Kong universities including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, HKUST, and City University of Hong Kong said they would streamline or facilitate applications for international students coming from top universities in the U.S. 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, an incoming Chinese student at Purdue University who only gave his last name out of concern for retaliation by the Trump administration, has been waiting anxiously for his visa approval. But he was also angry. Currently in China, he said this was the exact opposite of what he thought the U.S. stood for. '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 kind of change,' he said. —- Fu Ting reported from Washington, Wu from Bangkok. Associated Press researcher Shihuan Chen and video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report from Beijing. Fu Ting, Kanis Leung, And Huizhong Wu, The Associated Press
