The Chinese Ministry of Education has warned Chinese students about studying in the United States, referencing an increase in delays and further complications regarding visa processing.

The warning comes during a protracted trade war and heightened tensions between China and the U.S., as well as concerns from some in Washington about espionage and intellectual property theft.

"The visa applications of some Chinese hoping to study in the United States have recently been restricted, with an extended reviewing process, shortened validity periods and increased rejection rate, which has affected their plans to study in the United States, or the completion of their study there," said Chinese Ministry of Education spokesperson Xu Mei.

The Ministry of Education also told students seeking to study at U.S. universities to "strengthen risk assessment."

Xu Yongji, another Ministry of Education official, told state broadcaster CCTV that 13.5% of all Chinese student visa applicants were "unable to make the trip as planned," citing complications with visas.

"These kinds of behaviors have already hurt the dignity of Chinese students studying in the United States and have seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," Xu told reporters on Monday.

Some lawmakers and policymakers in Washington have sought to restrict the number of Chinese international students attending American universities.In June of last year, the State Department shortened the length of visas from five years to one year for Chinese graduate students in the fields of robotics, aviation and advanced manufacturing. According to officials, the goal is to protect intellectual property and defend against espionage.

Ties to Chinese military

Congressional Republicans have also sponsored a bill that would prohibit individuals who are employed or sponsored by organizations with connections to the Chinese military from receiving student or research visas.

China is the largest source of international students in U.S. colleges, with 33.2% of all international students coming from China, according to the Institute for International Education.In the 2017-2018 year, this translated to 363,341 students, a 3.6% increase from the previous academic year.

Many educators have expressed concern over the Trump administration's stance toward international applicants for student visas. In a report by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, international education is a $39 billion industry. At NAFSA's annual conference last week, many claimed their enrollments had been in decline, according to reporting by VOA News.

In August 2018, Business Roundtable, an organization of CEOs, sent an open letter to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen advocating for a change in immigration policy in regard to students from abroad.

"Inconsistent government action and uncertainty undermines economic growth and American competitiveness and creates anxiety for employees who follow the law. In many cases, these employees studied here and received degrees from U.S. universities, often in critical STEM fields," the letter read.

In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray alleged that China was using "graduate students and researchers" to conduct espionage.

"We need to focus even more on a whole-of-society approach because in many ways, we confront whole-of-society threats," Wray said.

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Japan later this month.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

WASHINGTON — 

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.