Trump’s visa cuts and tariff hikes turn Chinese students away from American dream

When 25-year-old biology student Yao's PhD programme enrolment was deferred due to funding cuts at her US university, she joined a growing list of Chinese students exploring other destinations.

Visa revocations and university funding cuts by the administration of US President Donald Trump have become a source of anxiety for international students. Those from China face additional challenges due to Washington's trade war with Beijing and the increasing vilification of Chinese citizens, students and industry insiders said.

“I used to think politics was far away from me, but this year I felt the impact of politics on international students,” Chicago-based Yao said, declining to give the name of her prospective university.

China had accounted for the biggest international student body in the US for 15 years, until it was overtaken by India last year. The economic impact of Chinese students on the American economy was $14.3bn (R266.7bn) in 2023, according to Open Doors data.

Within the US, the community has been portrayed as a national security threat, likened to spies sent across by the Chinese Communist Party, and threatened with proposed legislation that could bar them from universities.

Reuters spoke to 15 Chinese students, eight of whom were in the US, who said the compounded issues have spiked safety concerns and intensified financial constraints, forcing them to rethink their American dream.

Since Trump returned to the White House, more than 4,700 students have been deleted from a US immigration database, making them vulnerable to deportation.

Chinese students have accounted for 14% of 327 visa revocation reports collected so far by the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Last month, the US House's select committee on China sent letters to six universities requesting information on enrolment policies for Chinese students in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programmes, and questioning their involvement in federally funded research.

Committee chair John Moolenaar wrote America's student visa system had become “a Trojan horse for Beijing” that provided unrestricted access to top research institutions and posed a national security threat.

China's foreign ministry urged the US to “stop brandishing national security as a false pretext” for discriminatory and restrictive measures targeting its students.

Republicans in the US House of Representatives have also proposed the “Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act” that would halt student visas for Chinese nationals.

New York-based nonprofit Committee of 100, a grouping of prominent Chinese Americans, said the bill betrays American values and weakens US leadership in science, technology and innovation.

Duke University professor Chen Yiran said the idea that Chinese students rush home to help Beijing compete with the US was a fallacy.

“Most want to stay in the US,” Chen said.

“They're from middle-class families, they pay the millions (in yuan) for the few years, they want to get the investment back.”

Universities outside the US have since reported increased interest.

Italy's Bocconi University has received many queries from students, its Greater China country manager Summer Wu said.

“Many students said because of (the political situation), they're looking more at other countries  because they don't know what will happen if they go to the US,” she said.

Institutions in the US and UK were also facing competition from Chinese universities that have shot up in global rankings in recent years.

“The growing reputation of China's domestic universities and an increase in funding for research and development is making Chinese institutions more attractive,” said Pippa Ebel, who authored a report on Chinese students for British education think-tank Hepi.

The US remains China's most-searched destination on Keystone Education Group's websites, but interest dropped 5% since Trump's additional tariffs announcement, with searches for doctoral programmes declining 12%.

Trump's 145% tariffs on Beijing will impact $400bn (R7.4-trillion) worth of goods sold by Chinese producers in the US market annually and compound slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy.

“China may be more sensitive to shifts in economic conditions and international policies,  affecting household budgets and the overall affordability of pursuing a US education,” said Keystone's insights director Mark Bennett.

In Hong Kong, visa arrangements that allow graduates to stay and seek employment have made the city a popular destination, the Chinese University of Hong Kong said.

Li is one such student. After three years in New York, she decided not to embark on the arduous US green card application process and chose to move to Hong Kong for graduate school and work.

Li said: “When I realised there could be other possibilities in my life, I was not so frustrated with what I have now.”

Reuters