Harvard Has Trained So Many Chinese Communist Officials, They Call It Their 'Party School'

Alleged ties with the Communist Party emerged as a leading line of attack in President Trump's pressure campaign against Harvard

- Chun Han Wong

U.S. schools—and one prestigious institution in particular—have long offered up-and-coming Chinese officials a place to study governance, a practice that the Trump administration could end with a new effort to keep out what it says are Chinese students with Communist Party ties.

For decades, the party has sent thousands of mid-career and senior bureaucrats to pursue executive training and postgraduate studies on U.S. campuses, with Harvard University a coveted destination described by some in China as the top "party school" outside the country.

Alumni of such programs include a former vice president and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's top negotiator in trade talks with the first Trump administration.

In an effort announced Wednesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. authorities will tighten criteria for visa applications from China and "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields."

The statement didn't say how the Trump administration would assess Communist Party ties or what degree of connection would result in revocation of visas. In China, party membership is widely seen as helpful for career advancement—in government and the private sector—and is typically a prerequisite for officials seeking high office.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Thursday that the U.S. move "seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students."

Alleged ties with the Communist Party have emerged as a leading line of attack in President Trump's pressure campaign against Harvard. The Trump administration said on May 22 it was revoking Harvard's authorization to enroll foreign students, accusing the university of working with the Communist Party, though it later gave Harvard 30 days to contest the decision. Harvard has filed a lawsuit to keep its foreign enrollments.