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Trump backs Chinese students in US despite right wing backlash and visa crackdown fears

International
Published on 15 May 2026
Trump backs Chinese students in US despite right wing backlash and visa crackdown fears

He says cutting Chinese enrollment could hurt US universities

Speaking from Beijing, President Donald Trump publicly backed Chinese students studying in the United States, even as he acknowledged this clashes with parts of his right-wing base. He said excluding students is “insulting” and argued that lower-tier US universities would be hit if Chinese enrollment falls. Trump also highlighted China’s growing university quality in science and technology. Chinese enrollment has declined amid perceived hostility and economic pressures, alongside China’s own expanding higher-education sector.

  • Trump said telling China “we don’t want your people” is insulting
  • He warned lower-tier US universities would be hit most if Chinese enrollment drops
  • Trump cited China’s improving education, especially in science and technology
  • Chinese student numbers have fallen due to perceived hostility and economic constraints
  • China has 265,000+ students in the US in the last academic year
  • A rise of China’s local universities has also contributed to the decline
Read the full story at The Economic Times

This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on The Economic TimesThe Economic Times

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