Bangkok – The Chinese government said Friday that the Trump administration Move to prohibit international students From Harvard he would damage the international position of the United States, and a university in Hong Kong sought to capitalize on the uncertainty promising to host them.
Chinese students constitute a large part of the International Student Population of Harvard University. The University enrolled 6,703 international students in all its schools in 2024, according to school data, with 1,203 of those that come from China.
The Trump administration movement, announced on Thursday, was a hot topic in Chinese social networks. The CCTV state station questioned whether the United States would continue to be the main destination for foreign students, noting that Harvard was already demanding the United States government in court.
“But with the long litigation period, thousands of international students can have trouble waiting,” said the CCTV comment.
He continued saying that international students are necessary to consider other options “when political uncertainty becomes the norm.”
Educational cooperation with the United States is mutually beneficial and China opposes its politicization, said the spokesman of the MAO None Foreign Ministry in a daily informative session in Beijing.
“The relevant actions by the United States will only damage their own international image and credibility,” he said.
He added that China would firmly protect the rights and interests of Chinese students and academics abroad, but did not offer any details about how it would do it in this situation.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology extended an open invitation to international students who are already in Harvard and those who have been admitted. The institution published a press release saying that it would provide unconditional offers, simplified admission procedures and academic support to facilitate a perfect transition.
Some people in China joked online that the university opened a branch in the city of Harbin in the Northeast of Harbin, whose name shares the same character as Harvard’s name in Chinese.
The theme of Chinese students studying abroad have long been a point of tension in the relationship with the United States. During Trump’s first mandate, China’s Ministry of Education warned students about increasing rejection rates and the shortest terms for visas in the United States.
Last year, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Relations protested that a series of Chinese students had been questioned and sent home Upon reaching American airports.
Chinese state media have reproduced armed violence in the United States and portrayed the United States as a dangerous place. Some Chinese students choose to study In the United Kingdom or other countries instead of the United States
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Associated Press Kanis Leung writer in Hong Kong contributed.
