WASHINGTON : The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed that the Biden administration will begin revoking visas of Chinese students deemed to have ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying in sensitive academic fields. The announcement is part of a broader push to enhance scrutiny of visa applicants from China and Hong Kong, citing national security concerns.

Rubio stated that embassies have been instructed to halt student visa interviews, and visa vetting will now include deeper investigations into applicants’ social media profiles. “A visa is not a right – it’s a privilege,” he remarked, indicating that the number of cancelled visas could already be in the thousands.

China responded swiftly, lodging a formal protest with Washington. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the decision “unreasonable” and ideologically driven, saying China “firmly opposes” the move and views it as a political provocation.

The clampdown comes at a delicate time in US-China relations. Just weeks ago, the two nations reached a temporary truce in their ongoing tariff war, agreeing to a 90-day reduction in trade barriers during talks in Geneva. Analysts warn the visa revocation could undermine that fragile progress.

The issue of Chinese students has become a political flashpoint in Washington. Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump called on Harvard to limit foreign student enrollment to 15%, accusing elite institutions of undermining national interests. International students currently make up nearly 6% of the 19 million-strong US higher education population, with China providing the second-largest group behind India.

According to the Institute of International Education, around 277,000 Chinese students were enrolled in US institutions in 2024, down 4% from the previous year amid growing geopolitical tensions. The FBI has repeatedly warned that Chinese influence operations may be exploiting the openness of American academia.

Meanwhile, China has signaled a more conciliatory tone, with President Xi Jinping previously pledging to bring 50,000 young Americans to China over five years in an effort to build people-to-people ties. However, the number of American students currently in China remains low, under 900 according to US data.

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