China issues official warning to students hoping to go to US
- Education ministry urges Chinese citizens to undertake risk assessment before they try to get visas for America
- China is largest source of international students in US, accounting for around 31 per cent of total
China issued an official warning on Monday for Chinese students seeking to study in the United States, amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
The Ministry of Education urged students and academics to “raise their risk assessment” after an increase in visa delays and denials for those who have applied to study in the US.
“For a period of time now, some Chinese students in the US have faced situations where their visas were restricted, the visa review period was extended, the period of validity was shortened, or [their applications] were rejected,” it said in a statement, relayed by the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
“The ministry wants to remind [Chinese] students and scholars to raise their risk assessment, strengthen their preventative awareness, and make the appropriate preparations.”
The warning comes as China and the US have been locked in an intensifying trade war, with Beijing placing the blame for the deteriorating relationship on Washington over the weekend.
Beyond raising tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods, the US has blacklisted Chinese telecoms giant Huawei over national security concerns, with China saying it would launch an “unreliable entity” list in apparent retaliation.