Advertisement
US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China still top source of international students in US despite tensions, with 155,000 visas granted since May 2021

  • US says it ‘remains welcoming’ to Chinese citizens, but Beijing has accused Washington of harassing and deporting STEM students
  • Strained bilateral ties unlikely to change positive perception of American universities, education expert says

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
15
The US has issued over 155,000 visas to Chinese students and scholars since May of last year, making China the top source of international students in the country for the 12th consecutive year. Photo: AP
Cyril Ip
Over 155,000 US visas have been issued to Chinese students and scholars since May of last year, making China the top source of international students in the United States for the 12th consecutive year despite rising tensions.
Advertisement
The US embassy in Beijing said in a conference on Monday that the US “remains welcoming” to Chinese students, despite media reports about student visa restrictions and suspensions.

“People-to-people engagements enrich our countries … The diverse perspectives of students from countries around the world, including China, enrich US school and university campuses,” said Grayson Walker, director of EducationUSA, Washington’s overseas network of international student advising centres.

More than 370,000 Chinese nationals studied in the US annually before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the embassy. That figure dropped to less than 320,000 during the 2020-21 academic year, when Chinese students accounted for 34.7 per cent of all international students in the US.

During the Trump era, the US imposed visa restrictions on Chinese students affiliated with the military or universities it deemed to be part of China’s military modernisation efforts.
China’s education ministry last year accused the US of harassing, interrogating and deporting Chinese students without a valid reason, especially those studying STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. However, the US embassy and consulates in China said some of the students were denied visas because their applications were not in compliance with US visa rules, and the tighter scrutiny did not target Chinese students alone.
Advertisement

The ministry said some of the deported students’ electronic devices had been checked and confiscated by US law enforcement officers before they left the country. It urged students to “pay attention to potential risks in the country … and abide by the rules of relevant institutions and reply to communications on time to prevent any disruption to classes”.

Advertisement