SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Approximately 18 percent of all students at the University of California San Diego students are from foreign countries, including thousands from China.
Back in June, many of them were not sure if they would be allowed back for classes in the fall as President Trump threatened to drastically reduce the number of student visas provided to foreign students, especially those from China.
In California alone, the president’s policies were going to impact up to 50,000 Chinese students.
But after a recent meeting with his counterpart from China, Trump has decided to reverse course and offer 600,000 visas to students from China, more than double the current allotment of 277,398.
It’s the highest number ever provided; the second highest took place during the first Trump administration when 372,000 visas were issued during the 2019-20 calendar year.
“I hear so many stories about how we’re not going to allow their students to come in,” Trump said during a Monday news conference at the White House. “It’s very important, 600,000, very important, now we’re going to get along with China.”
Many of his supporters, including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, are not happy with the president’s decision.
“We should not let in 600,000 Chinese students to attend American Colleges and Universities that may be loyal to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party),” Greene posted on her X account. “We should never allow that.”
Others, like Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, were even more critical.
“Nobody, I repeat nobody, wants 600,000 more Chinese students, aka communist spies in the United States,” wrote Loomer on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The president emphasized the increased number of visas made available to Chinese students is necessary to improve relations with China.
“It will help get along good with China,” he said.
According to the International Educational Exchange, 331,602 visas are given out to students from India, followed by 277,398 to Chinese students and 43,149 to South Korean students.
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