President Donald Trump on Monday announced a major shift in U.S. policy toward Chinese students, issuing 600,000 new student visas for Chinese nationals. The decision comes as part of a broader effort to secure a trade deal with China.
Trump made the announcement from the Oval Office following a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, which focused on easing tensions with North Korea and included a round of golf.
“It’s a different relationship that we have now with China,” Trump said. “It’s a much better relationship economically than it was before with Biden.”
The policy change is significant. According to the Institute of International Education, 277,398 Chinese students were enrolled in U.S. schools in 2024, second only to India, which had 331,602 students. The new visas would more than double the current Chinese student population in the U.S.
Political Pushback
The announcement drew criticism from some of Trump’s Republican allies, who have previously advocated for stricter visa restrictions for Chinese nationals. Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) suggested the students could have ties to the Chinese Communist Party, writing on social media that schools relying on these students should “fail anyways” if the students are tied to Beijing.
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department and Department of Homeland Security were working to revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in sensitive fields. Several Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), have proposed legislation to stop the issuance of Chinese student visas, citing national security concerns.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that the student visas could help prevent the closure of U.S. universities, claiming that up to 15% of schools would face shutdown without the influx of students.
Trade Deal and Rare-Earth Magnets
Trump also highlighted an accompanying trade agreement. Under the deal, China will export rare-earth magnets crucial for U.S. national security, while the U.S. will allow Boeing to produce airplane parts for China. “Two hundred of their planes were unable to fly because we weren’t giving them Boeing parts, purposely,” Trump said. “They weren’t giving us magnets, therefore we weren’t giving them.”
Trump warned that failure to comply could result in a 200% tariff on Chinese imports. He also signed an executive order suspending tariffs on China until November.
