GT investigates: China Initiative 2.0? Chinese students seek alternatives amid hostile US policies

In a latest move targeting international students, the Trump administration on Tuesday threatened to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status after the school rebuffed his administration's demands for a series of policy changes. The threat came a day after the Trump administration halted more than $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard, the oldest university in the US.

In an open letter issued on Monday, Harvard University President firmly rejected the unreasonable demands. "These ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate how we operate," read the letter published on the university's website.

According to The New York Times, since taking office in January, the Trump administration has aggressively targeted universities, saying it is investigating dozens of schools as it moves to eradicate diversity efforts and what it says is rampant antisemitism on campus.

The moves have led to mass review and visa cancellations of many international students. From a broader perspective, they align with the broader policy agenda of the Trump administration, which seeks to reduce both legal and undocumented immigration while pressuring universities to confront what they characterize as widespread anti-Semitism on campuses, Chinese observers noted.

But for Chinese students, the pressure is more pronounced, particularly with the introduction of a Republican bill aimed at halting the issuance of student visas to Chinese nationals, as well as Ohio's restrictions on educational exchanges between Chinese and American institutions.

On April 9, Donald Trump Jr., the US President's son, commented "Great idea" on an X post, which said "Just waiting for Trump to counter China's latest move by pulling all the student visa and sending all the spies home."

Concerns about whether the "China Initiative 2.0" is coming is on the rise, but this time, some Chinese students reached by the Global Times said they have more preparations and options.

Visa cancellation

Since mid-March, the number of international students and scholars who have had their visas revoked, their federal record terminated - or both - has climbed to nearly 1,000, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Over 80 universities have reported revoked visas, according to a tracker by Inside Higher Ed, hitting students and faculty from coast to coast, the BBC reported.

"Cast away your illusions, prepare for struggle!" wrote one of the 1,000 affected, a Chinese postgraduate student at the University of Connecticut on his WeChat account. The sentence is the title of a commentary by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1949 on the essence of the US' policies toward China.

The student, calling himself J, received an email on April 8, which notified him that his Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record had been terminated.

The SEVIS is a federal tracking system by the US Department of Homeland Security to monitor the legal entry of more than one million nonimmigrants to the US for education and cultural exchange. If a student's SEVIS record is terminated, the person's visa is immediately invalid.

"The notice said that my SEVIS record was terminated by the government due to a criminal record, but it did not specify what the criminal record was," J told the Global Times.

J denied that he had any criminal record, holding the belief that the mass cancellation was more of a political issue.

J and his schoolmates facing the same situation were not instructed on how to respond. "The professors welcome us to classes, the university remains ambiguous, and the federal government obviously does not welcome us," J said.

Four Chinese students from top US institutes including the University of California-Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University have filed lawsuits "for the sake of all students impacted," the students' lawyer Zhu Keliang told the Global Times.

The indictment alleges that the federal government's actions violate the US Constitution and other laws, and demands that the federal government cease its unlawful practices and immediately restore the status of all affected students, Zhu said.

"In this crisis, particularly affecting international students, we must unite to jointly confront the consequences of US operations," J wrote in his WeChat post.
Mounting concerns

In the US, Chinese students - who make up one-quarter of international students there - are a vital source of funding for American universities. In 2023, they contributed about $14.3 billion to the American economy, according to US government data.

However, it is not uncommon for some American politicians to take actions targeting Chinese students.

The state of Ohio in the US recently passed a bill on higher education that contains negative clauses related to China and imposes restrictions on educational exchanges and cooperation between colleges and universities in China and the US.

In response, China's Ministry of Education issued the first study abroad alert for 2025 on April 9, reminding all students to make a good security risk assessment and enhance their awareness of precaution when choosing to study in the relevant states in the US in the near future.

On March 19, the Chairman of the US House "Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party," John Moolenaar, sent letters to the presidents of six elite US universities, requesting information on each of their policies and practices regarding the enrollment of Chinese students in advanced STEM programs, questioning their involvement in federally funded research. The letters highlight the so-called "increasing risks" posed by China's efforts to "exploit" American universities for technological and military advancements.

On March 14, House representative Riley Moore introduced a bill that could bar Chinese nationals from receiving visas that allow foreigners to travel to the US to study or participate in exchange visitor programs. Five other Republicans co-sponsored the measure, also citing so-called "national security" concerns.

Increasing uncertainties in policies have made many Chinese students abandon their plans to study in the US.

Liu Wei (alias), a student in his senior year in Beijing, has decided to drop her plan to study in the US and accept an offer from a school in Europe.

She told the Global Times that many Chinese applicants she knows are now worried about whether they can obtain a visa even though they have offers from American universities. Even if they successfully enter the US, they fear that their studies could be disrupted at any time for any reason or no reason at all.

A staff member from a Chengdu-based overseas education institute told the Global Times that after the news of visa cancellations, they have since received frequent inquiries from clients about the risk their applications face.

As visa applications usually peak in summer, many students are still observing the changes in US policy and considering backup plans, the consultant said. If they fail to get a visa, students could opt for a second year or apply to schools in other places.

Hannah Liang, a consultant who works for a Beijing-based overseas education agency, told the Global Times that unlike the traditional application strategy of focusing mostly on one country, many students are applying or preparing to apply for schools in various countries for fear of uncertainty in the US.

In addition to concern over visas, the US is also becoming less attractive among Chinese students due to its deteriorating academic environment and the declining competitiveness of US institutions.

As someone aspiring to build a career in the environmental sector, Liu is also discouraged by a series of retrogressive moves by the US government on climate issues, which have led her to question the viability and necessity of pursuing a climate-related career in the country.

Another Chinese student surnamed Qin told the Global Times that his concern was whether the programs he is interested in will operate properly.

The US administration is gutting its Department of Education. Successful or not, Qin worries that the process would cause chaos in the education system. "What if the program is cut due to a lack of federal funding when I am midway? What if my diploma cannot be recognized in China due to issues in the US?"

Qin, who previously applied to American universities, is now looking to Australian schools. "It seems like a waste of time to apply again, but I don't want to risk dropping out a year later," Qin noted.

Lost attraction

The US has failed to secure a top-three position in the study-abroad environment evaluation, ranking fourth behind the UK, Singapore, and Canada, according to the 2025 Blue Book on China's Study Abroad (blue book) released during the 2025 China Study Abroad Forum on April 11.

The blue book, which assessed 28 countries, cited key factors including heightened geopolitical tensions, restrictive academic policies, and frequent safety advisories, among others.

"The US has the highest number of study-abroad warnings among the 28 countries surveyed and imposes restrictions on certain fields of study, including on STEM majors," Zheng Jinlian, vice president and research director of the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times.

Li Rongyu, deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president of the University of Queensland in Australia, told the Global Times that academic freedom and freedom of speech in American universities are diminishing. The country's post-WWII legacy of openness and global talent recruitment is also eroding, reducing its appeal to international students and scholars.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on April 9 that it will begin screening immigrants' social media for evidence of anti-Semitic activity. The screenings will affect people applying for permanent residence status as well as foreigners affiliated with educational institutions.

Though the move is claimed to target anti-Semitism, multiple Chinese students expressed concern that the policy could be abused to target Chinese students and scholars, who have been in the crosshairs of many existing policies.

The infamous "China Initiative," launched by the US Department of Justice in 2018, left unhealed wounds even though it officially ended in 2022. The FBI raided the home of Indiana University professor Wang Xiaofeng and his wife in late March, reviving the specter of this initiative.

More than 1,600 people had responded to a Nature poll published on April 1. Of these, some 1,200 said that they are scientists working in the US and are considering leaving the country. Of the almost 700 postgraduate students who responded, some 550 were considering leaving.

The results are a strong indication of the despair that many scientists feel at the turmoil in US science sector and foretell an acceleration of US brain drain, according to the Nature editorial.

Facing unprecedented policy disturbance of the US government, infringement of university operation and international students' legitimate rights, some Chinese students cannot help but ask: Who will be the next?