State Department to 'aggressively revoke' Chinese student visas over CCP connections, security in 'critical fields'

The US will be working to aggressively revoke the student visas of Chinese nationals studying at universities in the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. This comes as there have been higher tensions between the US and China over trade and other relations.

In a statement released by the State Department, Rubio stated, "Under President Trump’s leadership, the US State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong."

On Wednesday, Rubio also announced that the US will announce visa restrictions for officials and others in foreign nations "who are complicit in censoring Americans."

"Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country. Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over," he added at the time.

After April 2, when Trump announced high tariff rates on China as well as nations throughout the world, China retaliated, heightening its tariffs against US products. In reaction, the Trump administration hiked its rates to a 145 percent tariff on nearly all Chinese imports to the US. The two countries later resolved to lower the trade barriers after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struck a deal with Chinese officials. However, tensions remain high.

The Chinese Communist Party has been stealing intellectual property from the United States at an estimated cost of $600 billion per year, according to a 2023 report from the Congressional Select Subcommittee on the CCP. Additionally, there have been widespread national security concerns surrounding the social media platform TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The Trump administration has been attempting to pressure ByteDance to sell off its stake in the company to an American entity.

Underscoring the tensions between China and the United States is the AI and technology arms race, which has been apparent as China has moved to stop exports of rare earth minerals to the US, which are key factors for high-tech microchips and other technology driven by AI.

The Trump administration has also been moving to onshore chip manufacturing with firms like Nvidia. The company has committed to investing $500 billion into manufacturing its Blackwell AI chips in the United States.