New York: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would allow 600,000 Chinese students to study at American colleges.
Trump announced this unexpected decision just as his administration’s high-stakes trade talks with Beijing are still underway.
In what could be called a sharp U-turn from his previous announcement against taking in Chinese students, Trump said that ‘We're going to allow their students to come in’.
He said ‘It's very important, 600,000 students. It's very important. But we're going to get along with China’, alongside urging Beijing to allow the US access the country’s rare earth mineralas.
In the event of China declining the US demand, Trump warned the Asian giant would face 200 per cent tariffs.
However, he made it clear despite whatever is the outcome Chinese students would still be allowed to study in the US.
Trump’s announcement, apparently aimed at humouring China, comes amid his country’s trade talks with the US.
Both countries are looking forward to seeking a common ground on issues ranging from tariffs, rare earth supplies and China’s access to US-made advanced AI chips.
Many of Trump’s conservative followers are not happy with taking in Chinese students, with Conservative commentator Laura Loomer, a staunch supporter of Trump, openly criticizing the decision.
‘I didn’t vote for more Muslims and Chinese people to be imported to my country... Please don’t Make America China. MAGA doesn’t want more immigrants,’ Loomer posted on X.
Another supporter of Trump, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, asserted that ‘We should not let in 600,000 CHINESE students to attend American colleges and universities that may be loyal to the CCP... Why are we allowing 600,000 students from China to replace our American student’s opportunities? We should never allow that’.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick how Trump’s policy of allowing Chinese students in American universities was ‘America First’.