Trump says US will admit record 600,000 Chinese students despite tensions

US President Donald Trump announced that his administration will admit more Chinese students to American universities than ever before, even as trade negotiations with Beijing continue.

On Monday, Trump said he plans to open the doors to an additional 600,000 Chinese university students, though he did not specify when this would happen. Currently, about 270,000 Chinese students are enrolled at US universities.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said: “I hear many stories suggesting we will not accept their students. We will allow their students to come. This is very important—600,000 students. Very important. But we will get along well with China.”

Trump’s remarks followed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s earlier announcement of plans to tighten visa rules for Chinese citizens, particularly young university students.

In May, Rubio declared: “Under President Trump’s leadership, the State Department, working with the Department of Homeland Security, will aggressively revoke visas of Chinese students, including those studying in critical fields or with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.”

During Trump’s first 100 days in office, Rubio canceled visas for more than 4,000 foreign students with criminal records ranging from arson to drunk driving.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also attempted to revoke 7,000 visas belonging to Harvard University students, but this move was blocked by a federal court.

Still, Trump insisted in June that he has “always supported” the entry of Chinese students into the country.

The figure of 600,000 represents the largest number of Chinese students ever admitted to the US. According to the Los Angeles Times, the previous peak was around 370,000 in 2019, before the pandemic caused a sharp decline.

At the same time, Trump initially struck China with a 145% tariff on all Chinese goods. Beijing retaliated immediately with a 125% tariff on US exports.