[Global Times special correspondent in the United States Feng Yaren] Recently, US President Trump's remarks that "600,000 China students are welcome to the United States" have attracted attention to China students in the United States. On August 31, the Associated Press reported on a China student who was preparing to go to the United States to study humanities, but was interrogated at a Texas airport and refused entry. It said that this was not an isolated case and showed the uncertainty of U.S. government policies.
The Associated Press reported that a 22-year-old philosophy student from China thought that he could successfully start his study life at the University of Houston after arriving at the Texas Airport after a 29-hour flight. Unexpectedly, he was stopped for questioning on entry into China and was deported to China 36 hours later. He was also prohibited from re-entering for five years.
This China student has complete procedures and a full scholarship from an American university. He is not studying a sensitive high-tech major, but a humanities. He also studied on an exchange basis at Cornell University for a semester. "The life I originally hoped for is now impossible." The student told The Associated Press.
This is not an exception. The China Embassy in the United States recently disclosed on its Weixin Official Accounts that several China students were interrogated and harassed for no reason when entering the country from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Some people were even restricted in their personal freedom for more than 80 hours and were eventually repatriated back to China. The China Embassy in the United States has lodged solemn representations with the United States in this regard.
"The U.S. government once planned to cancel visas for China students, but recently, Trump said he welcomed hundreds of thousands of China students to study in the United States, in part to help some American schools maintain operations." The Associated Press said.
Trump said on August 25 that he would allow 600,000 China students to study in American universities. This statement aroused surprise and dissatisfaction among allies in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) camp. In May this year, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio announced that he would strongly revoke visas for China students.
In response, Trump defended himself in an interview with the conservative US media "Daily Caller" last Friday, saying it was a "very insulting" act to tell another country that their students could not come to the United States. Trump added that China may have 300,000 students studying in the United States, which is good for the U.S. education system. If they are withdrawn,"you know who will be affected." The US "Political News Network" said Trump intended to take care of smaller universities.
In a follow-up interview, Trump once again emphasized: "It's too isolating to say we don't want their (China) students." He added: "Our relationship with China is very good."
Chinese students have mixed opinions about Mr. Trump's verbal overtures and the actual actions of US customs. A Chinese student studying at Johns Hopkins University told the Global Times that Mr. Trump's welcoming of Chinese students sent a positive signal against the backdrop of tensions between China and the US. "A lot of times we just want to study with peace of mind and don't want to be implicated in politics. It's good for me and my school to continue studying in the US."
Another China student studying for an undergraduate course at Pennsylvania State University has reservations. She is worried that the policy carries a transaction connotation and may be withdrawn at any time. "Trump said he welcomed us, but the U.S. government only announced that it would revoke the visa a few months ago, and now it's back on it. It's hard to truly feel at ease with such a wavering policy." She said that many students still feel the anxiety caused by their unstable identities.
A Chinese student studying for a master's degree in computer science in the United States said he had heard of the overall tightening of policies for international students. In his view, the US government is fulfilling Trump's campaign promises and the unfinished work of the last term. "As far as I know, most of the policies that will directly affect our group are still going through the legal process and have not really been implemented, but it should only be a matter of time."