US to “aggressively” revoke Chinese student visas
Qian Xuesen, we meet again.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US would begin to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields” (SCMP).
- He also said the US would “revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”
Rubio framed the decision as a national security measure.
Some context: In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 Chinese students studied in the US, accounting for about a quarter of all foreign students in the country (AP).
China’s foreign ministry (MoFA) blasted the decision:
- "This political and discriminatory act exposes the falsehood of America’s claimed openness and freedom."
- "It will only further damage the US's international image and national credibility."
Get smart: It’s unclear what sort of affiliations might get a student’s visa revoked, but the decision will unquestionably lead Chinese students to reassess US study plans.
Get smarter: Despite its tough rhetoric, Beijing is probably chuffed.
- In one fell swoop, the US has cut its universities off from an important source of funding and talent, and redirected some of China’s brightest students back to the motherland.