President Donald Trump’s statement that “600,000 Chinese students are welcome to the United States” has raised concerns about Chinese students in the United States. On August 31, the Associated Press reported that a Chinese student who was about to go to the United States to study the humanities was interrogated at a Texas Airport and refused entry, saying that this was not an isolated case, it shows the uncertainty of US government policy.
The Associated Press reported that a 22-year-old philosophy student from China thought he would be able to start studying at the University of Houston after a 29-hour flight to Texas Airport, however, he was stopped on entry for interrogation and returned to China after 36 hours, while being barred from re-entering the country for five years.
The Chinese student has all the necessary procedures, and he has a full scholarship from an American University. He is not studying a sensitive high-tech major, but a humanities major, prior to that, he also had a semester of exchange studies at Cornell University. “The life I had hoped for is no longer possible,” the student told the Associated Press.
This is not an isolated case. The Chinese embassy in the United States recently revealed on its wechat account that several Chinese students who had entered the United States from the George Bush International Airport in Houston had been unnecessarily searched and harassed, there have even been cases where people have been deprived of their liberty for more than 80 hours and have eventually been repatriated. The Chinese embassy in the United States has lodged solemn representations with the United States in this regard.
“The US government had planned to cancel visas for Chinese students, but recently Donald Trump said he would welcome hundreds of thousands of Chinese students to study in the US, in part to help some American schools stay afloat,” the Associated Press said.
Donald Trump said on the 25 AUG that he would allow 600,000 Chinese students to study in US universities, sparking surprise and resentment among allies in the “Make America great again” camp. Only in May did secretary of State Rubio announce a tough revocation of visas for Chinese students.
Donald Trump defended himself in an interview with the Conservative Daily Telegraph on Friday, saying it was “Very insulting” to tell another country that their students could not come to the US. Donald Trump added that there could be 300,000 Chinese students in the US, which would be good for the US education system and that if they were taken away, “You know who would be affected”. According to Politico, Trans was looking out for smaller universities.
In a follow-up interview, Donald Trump again stressed, “It’s too isolating to say we don’t want their [ Chinese ] students,” adding, “Our relationship with China is very good.”
Chinese students were divided over Donald Trump’s verbal overtures and the actual actions of us customs. A Chinese student at Johns Hopkins University told the Global Times that Donald Trump welcomed the Chinese students’ comments, it sent a positive signal against the backdrop of sino-us tensions. “A lot of times we just want to study and not get involved in politics. It’s good for me and my school to continue to study in the United States.”
Another Chinese student studying at a Pennsylvania State University School expressed reservations. She worries that the policy has a transactional undertone and could be withdrawn at any time. “Donald Trump said we were welcome, but it’s hard to really feel comfortable with a policy that has been wavering since the government announced a few months ago that it was going to revoke our visas, and now it’s going to go back on its word,” she said, many students still feel the anxiety of identity instability.
One Chinese student studying for a master’s degree in computer science in the US says he has heard of a general tightening of policy towards foreign students. In his view, the administration is fulfilling Trump’s campaign promises and the unfinished business of his last term. “As far as I know, most of the policies that directly affect our group are still going through the legal process. They haven’t really landed yet, but it should only be a matter of time.”