Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Aug 26: US President Donald Trump has announced that American universities will admit six lakh Chinese students, marking a significant policy shift even as his administration continues its crackdown on international students.

Calling China a “very important partner,” Trump said from the Oval Office, “We’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important. But we’re going to get along with China.”

However, the President also warned Beijing to ensure Washington’s access to rare earth magnets or face tariffs up to 200 per cent. He clarified that the ongoing trade tensions between the two largest economies would not affect Chinese students’ ability to study in the US.

The announcement comes amid sensitive trade negotiations, where both nations are struggling to find common ground on tariffs, rare earth supplies, and advanced AI semiconductors.

Trump’s remarks have stirred sharp criticism from his own MAGA supporters. Activist Laura Loomer lashed out on X, calling Chinese students “CCP spies” and accusing Trump of betraying his “America First” agenda. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also opposed the move, stating, “We should not let in 600,000 Chinese students to attend American colleges and universities that may be loyal to the CCP.”

On the other hand, Team Trump defended the policy. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News that without Chinese students, “the bottom 15 per cent of universities would go out of business in America. President Trump’s taking a rational economic view.”

The latest move stands in stark contrast to the administration’s earlier stance. Just in May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas of Chinese nationals linked to the Communist Party or working in critical research fields, under Trump’s “America First” policy.