In an effort driven by national security concerns, a faction of House Republicans has introduced a legislative proposal aimed at halting Chinese students from attending American educational institutions. Spearheaded by Representative Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, the proposed bill seeks to prohibit individuals from China from obtaining visas that enable international students and exchange visitors to study in the United States. Five additional Republican members of Congress have endorsed the proposal alongside Moore.
Moore criticized the current visa policies stating that by allowing Chinese nationals these visas, the U.S. essentially permits the Chinese Communist Party to conduct espionage activities against the U.S. military, steal intellectual property, and pose threats to national security. “It’s time we turn off the spigot and immediately ban all student visas going to Chinese nationals,” he asserted.
Despite the low likelihood of the bill being enacted, it has attracted disapproval from various organizations and educational scholars. Critics of the proposal argue that policies and language antagonizing Chinese students may adversely affect U.S. interests. Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, an association dedicated to international education, stated, “No policy should target individuals solely on the basis of their national origin.”
Aw further emphasized that making international students — rigorously vetted and monitored nonimmigrants within the United States — scapegoats for xenophobic and anti-Chinese sentiments is misleading and undermines national interests. The Chinese Embassy remained silent, declining immediate comment on the legislative proposition.
The Asian American Scholars Forum also voiced concerns, noting the potential damage such legislation could inflict on the U.S. scientific and innovation leadership. They warned that it would disrupt the influx of talented Asian American scientists, scholars, and researchers essential for the country’s scientific progress.
Though the bill’s future remains uncertain, Yangyang Cheng, a research scholar from Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, pointed out that it should be perceived as part of a broader initiative to limit academic freedom and disadvantage higher education by controlling curriculum, research domains, and access to academic facilities.
According to data from the 2023-24 academic year, Chinese students make up over a quarter of the international student population in U.S. universities, with more than 277,000 enrolled. However, the number of Chinese students has seen a steady decline over recent years, and China no longer leads as the largest source of international students, surpassed by India. In 2023, a law in Florida banned state universities from hiring students from China and six other countries in certain academic positions, a decision currently facing legal challenges. Republican lawmakers have also influenced U.S. universities to sever academic ties with Chinese institutions due to security concerns.
Reactions to the newly unveiled legislation on Chinese social media were mixed. While some prospective students voiced apprehensions over their recent admissions to U.S. schools, others dismissed the proposal as merely “a political show,” with some even likening it to “another Chinese Exclusion Act.”
