us-to-revoke-visas-of-chinese-students-with-ccp-links-rubio

Amid escalating diplomatic tensions with Beijing, the United States will begin revoking the student visas of Chinese nationals, particularly those associated with the Chinese Communist Party or enrolled in critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

 

The move is being seen as part of a broader effort by the Donald Trump administration to clamp down on foreign enrolments and address national security concerns related to foreign influence on American campuses.

 

“The US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,”  Rubio stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

 

The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 28, 2025

 

The United States and China are presently at an impasse over a raft of unilateral trade tariffs introduced by the Trump administration. These measures aim to curb Chinese imports and redress what Trump has repeatedly described as an uneven trade relationship.

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Earlier in the day, Trump sharpened his critique of Harvard University, suggesting the prestigious institution should limit its foreign student intake to no more than 15 per cent. At present, foreign nationals reportedly comprise 31 per cent of Harvard’s student body.

 

“We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, but they can’t get in because we have foreign students there,” Trump said, calling into question the loyalty and behaviour of certain students from abroad.

 

“I want to make sure that foreign students are people who can love our country. We don’t want to see shopping centres explode. We don’t want to see the kind of riots that you had,” he added.

 

Trump further alleged that some of the foreign nationals admitted by Harvard hail “from the radicalised areas,” stating, “many of those students didn’t go anywhere; many of those students were troublemakers caused by the radical left.”

 

The comments and policy shift have sparked fresh debate within the academic community and diplomatic circles, with critics warning that such blanket policies could undermine the principles of academic openness and international collaboration. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is yet to issue an official response to the developments.