US academic partnership with China faces biggest threat

American colleges host more than 275,000 students from China

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Frayed by tariff wars and political battles, the academic ties between the US and China are now facing their greatest threat yet as the Trump administration promises to revoke visas for an unknown number of Chinese students and tighten future visa screening.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will “aggressively” revoke visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Community Party or studying "critical fields".

Rubio's statement threatened to widen a chasm between the two nations, building on a yearslong Republican campaign to rid US campuses of Chinese influence and insulate America's research from its strongest economic and military competitor.

Rubio's announcement has rattled Chinese students and drawn swift condemnation from the Chinese government and some US lawmakers.