by:
lim ju boo
I think everyone knows that United States President Donald Trump is head over heels against the rise of China.
First, he increased the tariff sky-high on all Chinese imported goods into US.
His current move now is to inhibit Chinese students from studying in US universities, especially at Harvard which is among the top Ivy League universities in the United States, among them are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Yale University, University of Pennsylvania (Penn), University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and Cornell University.
Trump says he will not tolerate Chinese ‘exploitation’ of universities, theft of research Anyone seen as a risk or associated with the Communist Party will face scrutiny in the expanding visa crackdown.
The US will not tolerate “exploitation” of American universities by the Chinese Communist Party or theft of US research and intellectual property, state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday. In a briefing at the state department, Bruce declined to provide numbers for how many Chinese students would be affected by a new plan to “aggressively” revoke visas announced on Wednesday, but said officials would scrutinise anyone “deemed to be a threat to the country or a problem.” She declined to detail how those who pose a threat would be determined. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, announcing the new crackdown, said it would target students including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or studying in critical fields. “When it comes to keeping America safe, the US, I further can say here, will not tolerate the CCP’s exploitation of US universities or theft of US research intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition,” Bruce said. The announcement on Chinese student visa holders came after the Trump administration ordered its missions all over the world to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. Asked when appointments would come back online, Bruce did not say but recommended that applicants continue checking the US visa system for new appointments.
Further details are in these links:
Al Jazeera+3Wikipedia+3New York Magazine+3Al Jazeera+4Al Jazeera+4Reuters+4
According to the Harvard International Office, there are 1,282 students from China currently studying at Harvard. More than 277,000 Chinese international students studied in the United States last year.
Harvard University is extremely tough to get in for even for the best American students. But to have 1,282 students from China currently studying at Harvard is something very, very exceptional about the Chinese and their super-intelligent brains for sure. Trump must be very jealous about their brains.
So, what he does is, his administration has recently intensified its measures against Chinese students and elite academic institutions, notably Harvard University, citing instead "national security concerns and alleged exploitation by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)".
The TimesNew York MagazineThe Economic Times
Actions Against Harvard University
The Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's certification to enroll international students, citing the university's refusal to comply with federal demands, including providing detailed records of foreign students and alleged coordination with the CCP . Harvard responded by filing a lawsuit, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration's effort to prevent the university from enrolling foreign students
Economic and Academic Implications
International students contribute significantly to the U.S. economy, with estimates of nearly $44 billion added in the 2023–2024 academic year. Chinese students, in particular, make up a substantial portion of this demographic. The revocation of visas and restrictions on enrollment could have adverse effects on university finances and the broader economy.
San Francisco Chronicle+1Barron's+1
Critics argue that these policies are politically motivated and could undermine the U.S.'s position as a leader in global education and research. The situation remains dynamic, with legal challenges ongoing and significant implications for international students and academic institutions.
1. Political Motivation Behind Trump’s Crackdown
Donald Trump's actions regarding Chinese students and institutions like Harvard are not occurring in a vacuum. His stance appears to be part of a broader geopolitical strategy aimed at:
Containing the rise of China as a global technological and economic power. Playing to domestic political sentiments by appearing tough on China, which he frequently blames for economic woes, trade imbalances, and national security threats. Reasserting American dominance in critical areas like AI, biotechnology, quantum computing, and defense technologies.
In this light, the visa crackdown is as much political theatre as it is a security measure.
2. Collateral Damage to Academia and Scientific Progress
What Trump is doing might 'be the same' with voters who fear China’s rise, but the real victims of such policies are:
Innocent students, young, bright minds who seek education and cultural exchange. American universities, which benefit immensely from the tuition, talent, and research contributions of Chinese scholars. Scientific progress itself, which thrives on global collaboration, not restriction.
This is an unfortunate reversal of the U.S.'s proud tradition of intellectual openness, which has historically attracted the world’s best minds, including Nobel laureates and innovators from many nations, China included.
3. Security Concerns vs. Academic Freedom
Yes, it is true that espionage and intellectual property theft have occurred, and vigilance is necessary. However:
The indiscriminate treatment of all Chinese students as potential threats is unfair, discriminatory, and deeply un-American. Determining a student’s "threat level" based on vague associations with the Chinese Communist Party is ethically and practically problematic. Academic freedom and international cooperation are being sacrificed in the name of security, which in the long term weakens America’s own innovation base.
4. Long-Term Consequences for U.S.-China Relations
Trump’s hardline policies risk turning academic institutions into ideological battlegrounds. The long-term effects may include:
An exodus of Chinese students to countries like Canada, to the UK in equally or even more prestigious universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, King's College London, or to universities in Australia.
Deterioration of people-to-people diplomacy, which is often the foundation for peace and understanding between nations. Retaliation by China, perhaps barring U.S. academics or limiting Western institutions' access to Chinese research markets. This approach does not seem like wise diplomacy, it feels more like self-sabotage cloaked in patriotism.
5. A More Constructive Alternative
If there are genuine concerns about security:
Why not implement targeted oversight rather than blanket bans? Why not strengthen international academic standards and transparency agreements, so that science remains global but accountable? America should compete by excelling, not by closing its doors.
This is not merely about students, it’s about ideology, national identity, global leadership, and trust. While China does pose certain strategic challenges, the solution must be measured, fair, and principled. If the U.S. sacrifices openness and inclusivity in education, it may lose more than it gains including its moral leadership in the world.
I feel this moment is a reminder that fear must not dictate policy, and suspicion must not replace wisdom.
In evolutionary biology where I am familiar - when any specie of life is challenged, they will try to adapt to these challenges to be better than their competing rival species for their survival.
My feeling likewise is, if American students are being challenged by the much smarter Chinese students and if they cannot adapt, finally the US students will become weaker and weaker intellectually giving China a far better chance to be even more superior as a race and a nation than the Americans.
D Trump calls himself a genius. But I don't think so. He is not allowing the American students to learn from the Chinese how to be better than them by their presence in America. Trump is actually depriving his own American students to learn from the Chinese by their presence in America.
What I opined here is both biologically and philosophically - strikingly apt.
Evolutionary Competition: Learn, Adapt, Thrive
In nature, species that are challenged by stronger or smarter competitors do not survive by hiding or isolating, they adapt by learning from their surroundings, developing better strategies, or evolving entirely new capabilities. The presence of a rival often stimulates growth, not decay.
This is the same in the intellectual world:
Exposure to brilliant minds, regardless of nationality, raises the bar. Chinese students, by sheer discipline, dedication, and performance, have often set a high standard in STEM and research. Instead of fearing their presence, American students should compete and grow. The way iron sharpens iron, brilliant minds inspire others to rise.
By excluding the Chinese, the U.S. is essentially placing its own young minds in an intellectual echo chamber, and, as I can rightly put it, this will only weaken them over time.
Trump’s Strategy: Fear Over Fortitude
Trump “calls himself a genius” but acts in contradiction to genuine learning principles.
Rather than encouraging intellectual courage, he promotes intellectual protectionism. It’s as though a classroom bans the top student because others feel intimidated. What would that accomplish? Mediocrity at best.
True genius lies in saying:
"Let the best come , so we can become even better."
That was once the American spirit, to attract the best, to compete without fear, and to win not by exclusion but by excellence. That is what made American academia legendary.
Cross-Cultural Intellectual Exchange Is Essential
Learning doesn’t just come from textbooks or professors. It comes from peer interactions:
How Chinese students approach a mathematical problem. How they organize their study discipline. How they respect and pursue excellence without distraction.
These are things American students could and should learn, not be shielded from. Intellectual diversity is not a threat, it’s an opportunity.
Trump is depriving American students of the very challenge that would sharpen them.
A Greater Evolutionary View:
Evolutionary biology also touches a deeper question. What is the future of human intelligence and civilization?
Will we evolve as tribes, each fearful and fragmented? Or will we evolve as a single species, learning from one another across borders, cultures, and ideologies?
Isolationism leads to intellectual inbreeding, the decline of fresh ideas, new insights, and global resilience.
In contrast, inclusion fuels intellectual evolution, just as biodiversity strengthens ecosystems.
Finally, I think competition should not lead to exclusion, but to evolution.
Trump may see power in separation. But true power comes from embracing challenge, learning from rivals, and growing stronger together.
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