Trump’s Crackdown on Chinese Students

What Do the Chinese Say About It? 🧑🏻‍🎓🇨🇳

Idiom of the week: 磨刀霍霍 (módāo huòhuò)

Meaning: “sharpening knives”, a metaphor for preparing for a harsh action or crackdown

Over two weeks ago, Trump vowed to revoke all visas for Chinese students in the US. Last week, he claimed to have reached an agreement with China on this matter. No details of this agreement have been released yet; however, the issue has sparked an outcry in the Chinese media.

How did Chinese newspapers comment on Trumps’s actions?

对中国留学生签证一再“磨刀霍霍”的美国总统特朗普，本周12日*突然改口称，美方欢迎中国留学生来美学习，自己赞成中国留学生留美并被美国公司聘用。但在一些观察人士看来，鉴于特朗普的政策优先级，以及美国两党的对华强硬共识，针对敏感STEM领域（科学、技术、工程、数学）中国学生的严格审查与选择性限制，大概率仍将继续。

• 磨刀霍霍 (módāo huòhuò) – sharpening knives (metaphor for preparing for a harsh action or crackdown)

• 突然改口 (tūrán gǎikǒu) – suddenly change one’s tune/speech

• 称 (chēng) – to say, to state (formal usage)

• 赞成 (zànchéng) – to approve, to support

• 聘用 (pìnyòng) – to hire, to employ

• 观察人士 (guānchá rénshì) – observers, analysts

• 政策优先级 (zhèngcè yōuxiānjí) – policy priority

• 对华强硬共识 (duì huá qiángyìng gòngshí) – a consensus on being tough on China

• 敏感 (mǐngǎn) – sensitive

• 审查 (shěnchá) – scrutiny/review

• 选择性限制 (xuǎnzéxìng xiànzhì) – selective restrictions

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken a hardline stance on Chinese student visas, unexpectedly changed his tone on the 12th of this week*. He stated that the U.S. welcomes Chinese students to study in the country and that he supports them staying in the U.S. and being hired by American companies. However, according to some observers, given Trump's policy priorities and the bipartisan consensus in the U.S. on being tough toward China, the strict scrutiny and selective restrictions on Chinese students in sensitive STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are highly likely to continue.

*the article was published on 14th of June (last week)

Photo: CGTN

6月14日，港媒《南华早报》援引分析指出，特朗普政府的这一系列对华政策或将引发长期危害性后果。对中国留学生和学者“下黑手”，最终可能掏空美国创新力，损害其教育科研的声誉，甚至导致人工智能（AI）等尖端行业的人才流失。

这些适得其反的限制措施，还可能成为催化中国崛起为全球教育、科研与投资新枢纽的关键动力。

• 港媒 (gǎng méi) – Hong Kong media

• 南华早报 (nán huá zǎo bào) – South China Morning Post

• 援引 (yuán yǐn) – to quote, to cite

• 系列 (xì liè) – series, set

• 对华政策 (duì huá zhèng cè) – China-related policies

• 引发 (yǐn fā) – to trigger, to cause

• 下黑手 (xià hēi shǒu) – to take malicious action (often secretly harmful)

• 掏空 (tāo kōng) – to hollow out, to drain

• 创新力 (chuàng xīn lì) – innovation capacity

• 损害 (sǔn hài) – to damage

• 教育科研 (jiào yù kē yán) – education and scientific research

• 声誉 (shēng yù) – reputation

• 人工智能 (rén gōng zhì néng) – artificial intelligence (AI)

• 尖端行业 (jiān duān háng yè) – cutting-edge industries

• 人才流失 (rén cái liú shī) – brain drain, loss of talent

• 适得其反 (shì dé qí fǎn) – to be counterproductive, to have the opposite effect

• 催化 (cuī huà) – to catalyze, to accelerate (a process)

• 中国崛起 (zhōng guó jué qǐ) – the rise of China

• 新枢纽 (xīn shū niǔ) – new hub, new center (literally: new pivot point)

• 关键动力 (guān jiàn dòng lì) – key driving force

On June 14, Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post cited analysis pointing out that this series of China-related policies from the Trump administration may lead to long-term harmful consequences. Cracking down on Chinese students and scholars may ultimately undermine America’s innovation capacity, damage its international reputation in education and research, and even lead to a brain drain in cutting-edge industries such as artificial intelligence (AI).

These counterproductive restrictions may even become a key driving force accelerating China's rise as a new global hub for education, research, and investment.

杜克大学亚太研究所客座教授丹尼斯·西蒙（Denis Simon）对港媒担忧道，美方此举可能对美国在关键产业的主导地位构成挑战。他强调，国际学生对美国的研究产出贡献巨大，尤其中国学生在美国AI与其他关键领域的发展中更是不可或缺。

• 客座教授 (kè zuò jiào shòu) – visiting professor

• 担忧 (dān yōu) – to worry; concern

• 构成挑战 (gòu chéng tiǎo zhàn) – to pose a challenge

• 研究产出 (yán jiū chǎn chū) – research output

• 贡献 (gòng xiàn) – to contribute

• 不可或缺 (bù kě huò quē) – indispensable

Denis Simon, visiting professor at the Duke University Asia-Pacific Institute, expressed concerns to Hong Kong media that such U.S. actions could pose a challenge to the country's dominance in key industries. He emphasized that international students make significant contributions to U.S. research output — especially Chinese students, who are indispensable to the development of AI and other critical fields in the United States.

“看看为美国高校、企业和研究机构输送高端人才的全球人才管道，就会发现，来自中国的学生和学者的重要性，”西蒙说，“限制性签证政策可能使顶尖人才不再选择美国，导致人才流失，尤其是在AI等前沿领域。”

• 研究机构 (yán jiū jī gòu) – research institutions

• 输送 (shū sòng) – to deliver; to send

• 高端人才 (gāo duān rén cái) – high-level talent

• 人才管道 (rén cái guǎn dào) – talent pipeline

• 顶尖人才 (dǐng jiān rén cái) – top talent

• 前沿领域 (qián yán lǐng yù) – cutting-edge field

“Just look at the global talent pipeline that supplies top talent to American universities, companies, and research institutions — the importance of students and scholars from China is clear,” Simon said. “Restrictive visa policies may cause top talent to stop choosing the U.S., leading to a brain drain, especially in cutting-edge fields like AI.”

“这类政策可能会破坏美国作为开放包容的教育科研环境的声誉，促使学生和学者转向其他国家寻求机会。同样，有意赴美投资的中国企业也会因此望而却步。” 他补充道。

更何况，眼下美国科技行业严重依赖外籍专业人才，西蒙担心，限制性政策可能在未来数年反噬美国创新根基和核心竞争力。

• 开放包容 (kāi fàng bāo róng) – open and inclusive

• 促使 (cù shǐ) – to prompt; to cause

• 有意 (yǒu yì) – intending to

• 赴美投资 (fù měi tóu zī) – invest in the U.S.

• 望而却步 (wàng ér què bù) – to flinch at the sight; to back off

• 更何况 (gèng hé kuàng) – moreover; let alone

• 眼下 (yǎn xià) – at present; currently

• 依赖 (yī lài) – to rely on

• 反噬 (fǎn shì) – to backfire; to bite back

• 根基 (gēn jī) – a foundation

• 核心竞争力 (hé xīn jìng zhēng lì) – core competitiveness

"These kinds of policies could damage the United States' reputation as an open and inclusive environment for education and research, prompting students and scholars to turn to other countries in search of opportunities. Likewise, Chinese companies considering investing in the U.S. may be deterred as well," he added.

Moreover, the U.S. tech industry is currently heavily dependent on foreign professionals. Simon is concerned that restrictive policies could, in the coming years, backfire and undermine the very foundations of America's innovation and core competitiveness.

Antoine & Dorota

Referenced authors: 6park