Beijing condemns U.S. decision to revoke visas of Chinese students
發佈日期: 2025-05-29 19:30
TVB News
The foreign ministry in Beijing has formally objected to Washington over its decision to revoke visas of certain Chinese students.
The Trump administration's mass revocation of visas is part of a broader effort to crack down on immigration.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Wednesday that the State and Homeland Security departments will work to "aggressively" revoke visas of students from China, the second-largest source of international students in the U.S.
He took aim at students studying in "critical fields" or have connections with the Chinese Communist Party, without specifying how extensively the revocations would be applied.
Rubio further noted that visa criteria will be revised to "enhance scrutiny" of all future visa applications from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.
It came a day after Rubio ordered a pause in the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students as officials weigh increasing social media vetting.
The announcement was met with firm opposition from China, which has vowed to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its students overseas.
During a regular news conference, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry slammed Washington for unjustly revoking visas of Chinese students under the pretexts of ideology and national security.
She said this "politically motivated" and "discriminatory" action exposes the lies of Washington's long-proclaimed "freedom and openness" and will further damage America's international image and credibility.
The spokesperson urged the U.S. to be more constructive towards stable bilateral relations.
Tensions grow as Chinese university students expressed concerns about the future of exchange programs.
Deng Zhifei, a 20-year-old art student, thinks the visa restriction shows the U.S. lacks confidence. She said it's not a good thing that it is turning down foreign students the opportunity to study in the U.S. "because international students represent cultural exchange between countries."
Zhang Qi, who studies industrial safety, indicated the move would hurt American institutions more than Chinese ones.
"With this policy, more people may reconsider going abroad to study and live, and it could be a positive change for China's development," Zhang said.
