Source: China Times
US Secretary of State Rubio recently announced that the US would "actively revoke student visas" for Chinese students, causing unease among Chinese international students. As shown in the graduation ceremony of Harvard University on May 29th, a Chinese student delivered a speech. (Associated Press)
US Secretary of State Rubio recently announced that the US would "actively revoke student visas" for Chinese students related to the CCP or studying in key fields, causing an uproar among mainland Chinese students. In response, US President Trump said on May 30th, "We just want to verify their identities, and they will be fine." The outside world interpreted this as a sign of easing towards Harvard Chinese students, but at the same time, US embassies abroad were instructed to review the social media accounts of visa applicants from Harvard.
According to CNN, when asked about the response to Chinese students in the US who do not wish to have their visas revoked, Trump stated that these Chinese students "will be fine." Trump told reporters after getting off Air Force One, "They will be fine, everything will be fine. We just want to individually verify the identities of students, which is a standard applicable to all universities."
Trump also pointed the finger at Harvard University, accusing it of failing to comply with repeated government requests to submit lists of international students. "Harvard should hand over the list so they won't get into trouble. But they are unwilling because some names on the list reportedly have 'serious problems.' What we want are people who truly love America."
It remains unclear at what speed and scope this revocation policy will be implemented, but earlier reports by CNN indicated that this decision caused great shock, chaos, and anxiety in China. Existing and future Chinese international students and their families are feeling uneasy, and Beijing has expressed strong opposition.
Although Trump's attitude towards Harvard Chinese students seems to be easing, Politico reported exclusively on May 30th that a telegram signed by US Secretary of State Rubio instructed immediate reviews of the social media accounts of Harvard student visa applicants to identify any anti-Semitic content. This applies not only to students but also to faculty members, researchers, staff, and invited speakers.
The telegram clearly states that anti-Semitism and related views are the focus of consular officials' review. However, senior officials at the US Department of State have not explicitly defined what constitutes anti-Semitic remarks that would prevent an applicant from entering the country.
Notably, the telegram requires consular officials to consider whether the absence of any online activity traces, private social media accounts, or accounts visible only to some individuals might indicate that the applicant is intentionally evading scrutiny, thereby raising questions about their integrity.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511173081210143272/
Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Please express your opinions by voting up or down below.