US President Donald Trump has defended his proposal to admit 6,00,000 Chinese students, arguing that American universities would “go to hell” without them, despite mounting criticism from his MAGA (Make America Great Again) base.
Speaking at a White House cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said the United States was “honoured” to educate Chinese students and dismissed objections as “insulting”. He added that his ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping formed part of a wider engagement strategy as trade talks with Beijing continue.
The proposal marks a reversal from his administration’s earlier plan to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students. Trump warned that many US universities, particularly those in the lower tier, would face financial collapse without international enrolment. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said “the bottom 15 per cent of universities would go out of business” without Chinese students.
The debate has exposed divisions within Trump’s political base. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and other hardliners have criticised the plan, claiming Chinese students may serve Beijing’s interests. Influencers aligned with the MAGA movement also accused Trump of betraying his `America First' agenda.
According to the Institute of International Education, fewer than 3,00,000 Chinese students were enrolled in US universities in 2023–24, down from a peak of 3,70,000 in 2019. India has since overtaken China as the largest source of international students, with 3,31,602 enrolments last year.
The policy shift coincides with a limited trade deal under which China resumed rare-earth exports and Washington eased tariffs, which had reached 145 percent in April. The deal also allowed Chinese students to resume entry into US universities and was recently extended until November.
Critics in Congress warn that the arrangement risks strengthening China’s technological base, with some lawmakers calling student visas a “Trojan horse” for Beijing.