The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced on Wednesday (May 28) that the U.S. will “strongly revoke” visas of Chinese students studying in the country, especially those studying in strategic technology fields or with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, Rubio stated that the new visa policy will prioritize “America over China (CCP).”
Rubio expressed concerns about a significant number of Chinese students engaging in espionage activities in the U.S. during his congressional testimony on May 21.
On May 27, the Trump administration had already suspended interviews for new visa applicants for study, while considering strengthening screening measures in the future, including expanding the review of applicants’ social media accounts.
Data from the 2023-2024 academic year shows that China is the second largest source of international students in the U.S., behind only India. The number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. exceeds 270,000, accounting for about a quarter of all international students.
The new policy has garnered strong support from U.S. lawmakers.
The U.S. House Committee on China Issues posted on social media platform X on Wednesday evening, stating: “The student visa system in the U.S. has become a ‘Trojan horse’ for Beijing, allowing Chinese students to enter our top research institutions without restrictions and posing a direct threat to our national security. This measure embodies Rubio’s strong leadership – this is the action we need.”
The committee stated on Thursday morning that if this issue is not addressed, the trend will result in “American talent being replaced, research integrity being compromised, and aiding China’s (CCP) technological ambitions at the expense of our interests. Our campuses must not become gateways for espionage activities and military technology theft!”
Republican State Representative from West Virginia, Riley Moore, wrote on X platform on Wednesday evening: “China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law requires all citizens to support and assist intelligence collection efforts wherever they are. So we cannot allow 300,000 Chinese citizens with student visas to come here every year.”
Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas also wrote on X platform: “China uses students to monitor political dissidents and American researchers, which is a verifiable national security threat. This is a great decision made by President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio.”
Florida Senator Ashley Moody also posted: “Now, Congress should take action and pass my ‘Stop CCP Visa Act’. We have no choice: as long as the CCP has laws that compel Chinese students to collect intelligence for them, we cannot issue student visas to them.”
News Impact Production Team