China reacts to US's decision to 'aggressively' revoke student visas
What's the story
China has protested the United States's decision to revoke visas of some Chinese students, calling the move "unreasonable."
"The US has...cancelled Chinese students' visas under the pretext of ideology and national rights. China firmly opposes this and has lodged representations with the US," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
Mao further stated that the "action exposes the lies of freedom and openness that the US has consistently touted and will only further damage the US's international image and credibility."
Strong opposition
China criticizes US visa revocation as 'unreasonable'
The move to remove the visas was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He said that the US would "aggressively" revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in sensitive fields.
He added that visa criteria would be revised to increase scrutiny on future applications from China and Hong Kong.
Diplomatic tensions
US-China relations strained under Trump's administration
This move could disrupt a major source of income for American schools and a crucial pipeline of talent for US technology companies, given that Chinese students are the second-largest group of international students in the US after Indians.
China's Foreign Ministry had previously vowed to "firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests" of its students overseas following the Trump administration's decision to remove Harvard University's ability to enroll foreign students.
The move was temporarily blocked by a US judge.
Impact
280,000 Chinese students could be affected
Revoking Chinese students' visas is another setback for the US higher education system, which has seen billions of dollars in funding cut by the Trump administration.
Foreign students, who typically pay full tuition, have become financially essential to certain smaller, private institutions and boarding schools.
Prestigious research universities have also been able to hire from large pools of gifted Chinese students.
The move could affect 280,000 Chinese students, depending on how broadly the visa criteria are defined.