【By Observer Net, Zhang Jingjuan】U.S. President Trump has recently made multiple statements calling for "welcoming Chinese students," even proposing to expand the number of Chinese students to 600,000, but in reality, incidents of Chinese students being subjected to unwarranted checks and harassment in the U.S. have been increasing.

According to a report by the conservative U.S. website "The Daily Caller" on August 31, Trump reiterated during an interview on the 29th that it is "the right thing" to allow Chinese students to study in the U.S., giving the reason that it is good to get along with other countries, especially nuclear powers.

When responding to questions about the policy toward Chinese students in the U.S., Trump said banning Chinese students from studying in the U.S. would be "very impolite." He claimed that such a move would affect "second-rate universities" in the U.S. Trump also told the reporter of "The Daily Caller", Reagan Reese, that he did not want to see Ivy League schools fall into difficulties due to policy changes.

The report stated that during the interview, Reese asked, "You still allow 600,000 Chinese students to study here..." Trump corrected him, saying, "It's 600,000 within two years." Reese then asked whether this was a negotiation strategy or if Trump truly believed this approach was beneficial to the country.

Trump responded, "When you refuse to accept Chinese students, I think it is very impolite for a country. (Accepting them) is also beneficial to our education system. When you exclude them, you know who will be affected, it's those second-rate universities, not the top ones."

Reese pressed further, "This won't affect Harvard? You don't think so? Because when I heard this, I thought conservatives would say, 'Well, let Harvard, Columbia University, or other universities fend for themselves,' but you think it affects second-rate schools?"

Trump said he didn't want these schools to collapse, and he hoped they could become better. He again emphasized that refusing Chinese students is very impolite and would harm the entire education system. "And you know, I have a good relationship with China. Saying we don't want their students is very impolite. I think it's good for us."

When asked if he expected specific returns from allowing Chinese students to study in the U.S., Trump replied, "No, no, I don't want any return. I just think what we are doing is the right thing. It's good to get along with other countries, especially with nuclear powers."

Trump interviewed, White House

However, just before this one-hour interview, the U.S. government released a proposed regulation on the 27th, aiming to tighten the visa terms for international students, cultural exchange visitors, and foreign journalists. These visa holders will have to apply for extensions to stay in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed that this change is to better "monitor and manage" visa holders in the U.S.

Previously, Trump had repeatedly stated that Chinese students were "very important" to the U.S., and without them, the U.S. university system would "crash."

On the evening of August 25, Trump said at the White House, "I've heard many stories that we won't allow them (Chinese) students to enter. We will allow their students to enter. This is very important, 600,000 students. This is very important, and we will get along well with China."

But this statement was soon questioned and criticized by right-wing conservatives within the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) faction. Therefore, Trump pointed out at a White House cabinet meeting on the 26th that it is "very insulting" for Chinese students to not be allowed to come to the U.S., and "I like their students coming here, I like students from other countries coming here."

Trump explained, "Do you know what happens if they don't do that? Our university system will crash quickly. And it won't be the top universities, it will be those bottom-ranked universities struggling. You kick 300,000 or 600,000 students out of the system." He also said that the U.S. is "honored" to educate Chinese students, but at the same time emphasized that the U.S. will "carefully" review who can come to study in the U.S.

The South China Morning Post analyzed that as the U.S. continues to push forward trade negotiations with China, Trump has changed his previous stance where his government loudly declared to "actively revoke" Chinese student visas, stating that accepting Chinese students is "very important." This statement caused some dissatisfaction within the MAGA faction and exposed internal divisions. Trump, previously seen as a hardliner on China, now has fluctuating policies toward China, making more supporters feel that he is making "dangerous concessions" to China.

It has become common for the U.S. government to "say one thing and do another." During Trump's first term, he launched the notorious "China Initiative," which rejected and deported many Chinese students and scholars, leading to a series of lawsuits against academic professionals.

After returning to the White House, Trump once again targeted Chinese students. On May, Secretary of State Rubio announced the intention to "actively revoke" Chinese student visas, and to revise visa application standards, strengthening the review of all future visa applications from mainland China and Hong Kong.

However, in June, after the U.S. and China reached a framework agreement on trade issues, the U.S. suspended some tariffs and slightly relaxed its attitude toward Chinese students. Trump said in June that he "has always strongly supported" Chinese students studying in the U.S.

Data shows that the number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. reached a peak of 373,000 in the 2019-2020 academic year, and then began to decline. According to data from the U.S. Department of State, over 277,000 Chinese students were enrolled in U.S. schools in the 2023-2024 academic year, a 4% decrease from the previous year. At the same time, India surpassed China with 332,000 international students, becoming the largest source country of students in the U.S.

An analysis by the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA) found that international students studying in U.S. universities contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2023-2024 academic year, providing 378,000 jobs. NBC cited data stating that in 2023 alone, Chinese students contributed over $1.4 billion to the U.S. economy.

Regarding Trump's recent positive remarks, Gao Jia Kun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a regular press briefing that educational exchanges and cooperation help enhance communication and understanding among people of different countries. The Chinese side hopes that the U.S. will put Trump's statement of welcoming Chinese students to study in the U.S. into practice, stop unwarranted harassment, inspections, and deportations of Chinese students, and effectively protect their legitimate rights and interests.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7544925632925368872/

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