On the 28th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he would cancel the visas of Chinese students associated with the Chinese Communist Party or studying in key areas, to which China strongly reacted.
Mao Ning, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted in a briefing on the 29th, “The United States' forcible cancellation of Chinese students' visas under the pretext of ideology and national security severely undermines the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and impedes normal human exchanges between the two countries,” and added, “We firmly oppose this and have lodged a formal complaint against the United States.”
She went on to say, “This political discriminatory act by the United States exposes the so-called ‘freedom and openness’ that the U.S. has consistently professed as a lie,” stating, “It only further damages the United States' own national image and credit.” She refrained from commenting on whether China is considering retaliatory measures.
When asked whether the U.S. visa cancellation would affect other areas of U.S.-China relations, the Spokesperson replied, “We hope that the United States will do many things that are constructive and contribute to the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of U.S.-China relations.”
China is the second-largest source of international students in the United States after India. As of 2024, there are over 277,000 Chinese students, accounting for about a quarter of all international students in the United States.
Some predict that China may respond with expulsion of American students, but it is reported that the number of American students in China is less than 1,000, making it difficult for China to deliver a proportional blow to the United States, even if it takes retaliatory actions.
Earlier, Secretary Rubio said that the Donald Trump administration would “aggressively cancel the visas of Chinese students, including those associated with the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical areas related to security.”