Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 30 that the State and Homeland Security departments will aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in undefined “critical fields.”
• The administration has not specified which academic disciplines qualify as critical fields or how ties to the Communist Party will be assessed.
• China’s Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest, calling the policy unjustified, discriminatory and damaging to people-to-people exchanges.
• Education organizations and experts warn that the decision could hinder US research and deter international talent vital to technological innovation.
• The visa revocation move follows US allegations that China withheld rare-earth mineral exports despite a preliminary trade truce.