In a surprising move, US President Donald Trump announced that 600,000 Chinese students will be permitted to study at American colleges amid ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing.
This decision was important to maintain ties between the two countries, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. However, the announcement comes at a time when the Trump administration is cracking down on illegal immigration.
“I hear so many stories that we’re not going to allow their students,” Trump said.
“We’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important. But we’re going to get along with China,” he added.
During the White House Cabinet meeting a day after first suggesting the idea, Trump said, “I think it’s very insulting to say students can’t come here because they’ll go out and start building schools and they’ll be able to survive it. But I like that their students come here. I like that other countries’ students come here.”
“And you know what would happen if they didn’t? Our college system would go to hell very quickly. And it wouldn’t be the top colleges, so it’d be colleges that struggle on the bottom. And you take out 300,000 or 600,000 students out of the system,” he added.
Reaffirming his position on US-China relations, Trump, in a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, emphasised that the United States wants to maintain a “great relationship” with China, while also making it clear he would avoid any actions that could harm or damage the country.
“We are going to have a great relationship with China…They have some cards. We have incredible cards, but I don’t want to play those cards. If I play those cards, that would destroy China. I am not going to play those cards,” Trump said.
These comments came as Trump signed an executive order that further modifies reciprocal tariff rates, aligning with ongoing negotiations with China.
The initiative was essential because of ongoing discussions with China to address “the lack of trade reciprocity in our economic relationship and our resulting national and economic security concerns,” Trump said while citing authority under the Constitution and other US laws, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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