The US government’s recent announcement to aggressively revoke visas of Chinese students has left many uncertain about their future. Xiao Chen, a 22-year-old communications student, had a visa appointment at the US Consulate in Shanghai but was rejected without explanation. “I feel like a drifting duckweed tossed in wind and storm,” she said, expressing her uncertainty and helplessness. Chen plans to take a gap year and wait for the situation to improve.
The Trump administration’s move has sparked concerns among Chinese students, with 280,000 studying in the US. The administration’s actions against Harvard University’s international student enrollment and the revocation of visas for Chinese students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying critical fields have further exacerbated tensions. Beijing has condemned the move as “politically motivated and discriminatory” and lodged a formal protest.
The mistrust surrounding Chinese researchers and students has been growing, with allegations of espionage and concerns about national security. Mr. Cao, a psychology major, had applied to over 10 US universities but received only one offer. “One of the professors even told me, ‘We rarely give offers to Chinese students these days, so I cannot give you an interview,'” he said, highlighting the challenges faced by Chinese students.
Returning graduates have also faced difficulties, with some finding that their US degrees are no longer highly valued. Chen Jian, who graduated from a US college, interned at a state-owned bank but was told that employees should have local degrees. “People like me (with overseas degrees) won’t even get a response,” he was told. The suspicion around foreign graduates has grown, with warnings about foreign spies and concerns about national security.
The shifting attitudes towards international education and exchange are concerning for many. Zhang Ni, a 24-year-old journalism graduate from Columbia University, was “very shocked” by comments from businesswoman Dong Mingzhu, who said her company would never recruit Chinese people educated overseas due to concerns about spies. Zhang recalls a childhood filled with conversations about the Olympics and World Expo, where her mom encouraged her to practice English with foreigners. “Whenever we saw foreigners, my mom would push me to go talk to them to practice my English,” she says. The willingness to exchange ideas and learn from the outside world appears to be waning in China.
As tensions between the US and China escalate, the future for Chinese students and graduates looks uncertain. Zhang Ni’s friend once joked, “Don’t become a spy,” a comment that now sums up the fear in both Washington and Beijing.