It was a statement with political explosiveness – and it was made not in Beijing, but in Washington: On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States would begin revoking the visas of Chinese students – especially those enrolled in “critical fields” or those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The measure, Rubio said, is part of a broader strategy under President Trump to protect America’s universities from “influence by foreign adversaries.”
The reactions to Rubio’s words did not take long to surface. In China, the move is being called “discriminatory and politicized harassment.” In the United States, unrest is spreading – on campuses, in university administrations, and in the hearts of those who already live, study, and hope here.
A New Version of the Chinese Exclusion Act?
For Liqin, a student at Johns Hopkins University, it was a moment to pause. He has lived in the U.S. for a third of his life, studied, integrated – and now? “This is a new version of the Chinese Exclusion Act,” he said, referring to the infamous immigration law of 1882 that banned Chinese immigration and systematically denied them rights. For the first time, he is thinking about leaving the country.
And Liqin is not alone. Chinese students in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Hong Kong – uncertainty reigns everywhere. Many are currently avoiding trips home, afraid they will not be able to return with a valid visa. Others are rethinking their futures – perhaps outside the United States.
The United States has traditionally been a magnet for international talent – for curious, engaged, highly qualified young people from all over the world. In the 2023-2024 academic year, around 277,000 students from China were enrolled at U.S. universities. That accounts for nearly a quarter of all international students. Only India sends more.
But that image is starting to crack. Rubio’s earlier announcement in May, suspending new visa interviews for all foreign applicants, had already caused unease. Now comes the next step – this time directly aimed at Chinese students.
Rubio emphasizes that it is about national security, about sensitive fields of research, about protection against espionage. But many experts, including PEN America and numerous university leaders, warn: the sweeping presumption of guilt undermines not only academic freedom – it damages the international credibility of American higher education.
Harvard, DHS, and the Escalation.
Behind the latest escalation lies a concrete case: Harvard University. The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, accused the university of cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party – through joint research projects and allegedly even by training paramilitary groups. The consequence: Harvard was to be barred from enrolling any more international students. A federal court halted the measure – for now.
But the tone remains sharp. President Trump himself declared Wednesday in the Oval Office that Harvard should reduce the share of international students from the current 25% to about 15%. “I want to make sure the foreign students are people who love our country,” Trump said.
For students like Zou Renge, 27, a soon-to-be Public Policy master's graduate at the University of Chicago, this means: a change of plans. She had actually intended to take a year off after graduation to work in humanitarian aid. Now she is staying in the U.S. for the time being – as long as that is still possible.
Chen, a student at Purdue University, is currently waiting for his visa approval in China – in vain. He feels betrayed: “I was hoping for tolerance and freedom. The U.S. stood for diversity – this is the exact opposite.”
Hong Kong as an Alternative
While the U.S. responds with exclusion, Hong Kong is reaching out to the uncertain. Chief Executive John Lee declared that the city welcomes students who feel discriminated against by the U.S. Universities such as HKUST and the Chinese University of Hong Kong announced they would facilitate the application process for Harvard students.
A postcolonial reflex? A geopolitical counterattack? Perhaps both. What is clear is this: the former beacon of global education is beginning to flicker – and others are stepping into the void.
Rubio’s announcement is more than a bureaucratic measure. It is a symbol – of the political direction the United States is heading under Trump: isolation, control, distrust.
Zhang Qi, a postdoctoral fellow in Beijing, even sees it as a gain for China: “If bright minds no longer go to the U.S., they will stay here – and strengthen our universities.”
It is a scenario that no one should invoke lightly. Because a world in which exchange dries up is a poorer world. A suspicious world. A vulnerable world.
English 
German 
