Overview

• After citing “600,000 students” while discussing China this week, President Trump said Chinese students are important to U.S. universities, a point his commerce secretary framed as an economic lifeline for lower‑tier schools.
• The White House later said the 600,000 figure reflects roughly two years of student visas under existing policy rather than a new expansion, with about 270,000–277,000 Chinese students currently enrolled.
• The comment triggered sharp pushback from conservative allies, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who argued the stance conflicts with an America First approach.
• The episode follows months of tighter scrutiny, including a May pledge by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to aggressively revoke some visas and a blocked move targeting Harvard’s international program, with additional reporting of proposals to set fixed visa‑duration limits for certain categories.
• China’s foreign ministry welcomed Trump’s remarks and urged Washington to protect Chinese students’ rights, as analysts noted the issue’s linkage to broader U.S.–China trade negotiations.