Editorial | Hong Kong can benefit from Donald Trump’s crackdown on foreign students

The fallout of the dispute between US President Donald Trump and Harvard University is increasingly felt across the world, with students from mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere struggling to secure visas to further their studies. While it is regrettable that foreign students have become the collateral damage of yet another misguided Trump policy, there is a silver lining for the city as it strives to tap global talents with its “Study in Hong Kong” brand.

The US restrictions on foreign students have escalated into a diplomatic row. Having earlier urged Washington to safeguard the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of international students, China has hit out at what it described as unreasonable cancellation of visas for Chinese students “under the pretext of ideology and national security”, adding that it had lodged representations with the US.

Beijing’s strong response came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department would work with the Department of Homeland Security to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Communist Party or studying in critical fields”. The US would also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future applications from mainland China and Hong Kong, he added.

The row began with Trump pressuring America’s oldest university over its funding and admissions following protests on campus over the Israel-Gaza war. The crackdown is also seen as revenge as the elite universities are perceived as a base against Trump’s leadership. It also stems from the misguided idea that these top universities, by accepting a significant number of Chinese and foreign students, are helping other nations enhance their competitiveness. While it is true that hundreds of thousands of students leave China for study in the US every year, a considerable number also stay behind and contribute to the development of science and technology as well as the American economy.

As the Trump administration closes the door for these foreign talents who are potential assets to the country’s economy and development, others are bound to swing theirs wide open. The uncertainties and hostility facing foreign students will only backfire and further alienate the US from the world.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is among the first to welcome affected Harvard students. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to provide “the best assistance” to Chinese students facing “unfair treatment” in the US and urged different sectors to capitalise on the opportunity together. With five local universities ranked among the world’s top 100, the “Study in Hong Kong” brand surely has its appeal.