Overview

• Trump said the U.S. will permit 600,000 Chinese students, a figure that far exceeds the roughly 277,000 enrolled in 2023–24.
• His comments came as Washington and Beijing continue trade talks under an extended 90‑day tariff truce running into November.
• The move contrasts with May’s pledge by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to aggressively revoke some Chinese student visas and with earlier actions that courts partly halted.
• Conservative allies including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and media figures criticized the plan, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick argued many colleges could fail without these students.
• Trump and aides said visa screening would continue, as the Chinese Embassy warned students about reported questioning and device checks at Houston’s airport.