China slams US govt for revoking student visas, says will damage its image

The remarks by the Chinese spokesperson came hours after Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration would work to aggressively revoke visas of Chinese students

China has opposed the US’s decision to revoke visas for Chinese students, calling it “politically motivated” and saying it “exposes the hypocrisy behind the US’s claims of freedom and openness”.

 

Terming the move “unjustified”, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian shared a post on X stating: “The US decision to revoke Chinese student visas is fully unjustified. Citing ideology and national security as a pretext, the move seriously hurts the lawful rights and interests of international students from China and disrupts people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. China firmly opposes this action and has protested to the US over the decision.”

 

China warns move could harm America’s global image

 

Lin Jian further claimed that the decision is likely to damage the image and international reputation of the US. His remarks came shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that President Donald Trump’s administration would work to “aggressively revoke” visas of Chinese students linked to the Communist Party or those enrolled in “critical fields”.

 

US-China ties strained further amid trade tensions

 

The announcement by Rubio follows a series of escalations in US-China relations, already strained by reciprocal tariffs introduced by President Trump. On April 2, Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on more than 100 countries, including China. While many nations rushed to negotiate deals to avoid penalties, China retaliated with its own tariffs on US-made goods.

 

On April 9, Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for all countries except China, further escalating the trade war. Before a tentative truce on May 12, US tariffs on Chinese imports had reached 145 per cent, while China’s tariffs on American goods stood at 125 per cent. 

 

Chinese students remain a major international presence in US universities

 

China is the second-largest source of international students in the US, after India. According to data from the Institute of International Education released last year, nearly 275,000 Chinese students enrolled in American institutions during the 2023–24 academic year.

 

This is not the first time Chinese students have faced such visa scrutiny. In 2020, the Trump administration also attempted to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese graduates believed to have ties to military-linked universities in China.