Regarding the US decision to revoke a large number of Chinese student visas, Dr. Qian Yaxu, a researcher at the Chahar Society and the Center for Regional and Country Studies at Southwest Jiaotong University, told the Russian Satellite News Agency that this reflects the deep strategic anxiety of the United States. China has surpassed the United States in certain scientific and technological fields, and the United States has encircled Chinese students in these fields.
On May 28, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio posted on social media that the U.S. State Department will work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including students “with ties to the Chinese government or studying in critical areas,” and review visa standards.
Qian Yaxu said that the US will begin to revoke the visas of some Chinese students, which is undoubtedly a textbook example of “double standards”. At the international law level, there is an international convention aimed at eliminating all forms of racial discrimination, namely the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It explicitly prohibits indirect discrimination, and the US move is precisely indirect discrimination. Although the policy seems to be relatively neutral on the surface, it has actually implemented unfair treatment against the Chinese nationality group.
Experts pointed out that the reason why the United States introduced this policy reflects deep strategic anxiety. China’s current breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum computing have overturned the traditional American perception of “generational leadership”. China has not only caught up, but has even surpassed the United States in some areas, which makes them anxious. This concrete behavior of eliminating anxiety is reflected in the blockade of Chinese students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field. As we all know, Chinese students have always been the main force in the laboratories of American universities.
According to the Open Doors report of the Institute of International Education (IIE) released by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, in the 2023-2024 academic year, students from China accounted for the largest proportion (20%) of foreign students studying in the United States, about 23,500. Chinese students mainly choose to study mathematics and information technology, as well as engineering and business management-related courses.
In addition, Qian Yaxu mentioned that the Trump administration’s revoking of Chinese student visas is also intended to create a tough political image toward China internally. After all, a tough stance toward China can cater to the emotions of some American voters and can be considered a political card.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning responded at a press conference on May 28 that the US side used ideology and national security as an excuse to unreasonably cancel Chinese students’ visas, which seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and interfered with normal cultural exchanges between the two countries. This politically discriminatory practice by the US side exposed the lie of the so-called “freedom and openness” that the US has always advertised, and will only further damage the US’s own international image and national credibility.
Regarding how Chinese students should deal with the US policy, Qian Yaxu suggested that they should first use legal weapons to protect themselves, because this policy violates the US Constitution. The core content of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution is about equal protection, and the Immigration and Nationality Act also clearly stipulates that visa matters shall not be based on international discrimination. Recently, Harvard University successfully applied for a temporary restraining order through litigation, which provides a model for subsequent cases. Secondly, China can also encourage international students to join relevant organizations, such as the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), which can provide visa consultation, review and other related information support for overseas Chinese students and scholars.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States said on May 29 that the Chinese Embassy in the United States had lodged solemn representations to the U.S. side at the first opportunity, urging the U.S. government to immediately correct its mistakes and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students studying in the United States.
