China slams 'politicisation' of education after US blocks foreign enrolment at Harvard

BEIJING: Beijing on Friday (May 23) slammed the "politicisation" of educational exchanges after the United States revoked the right of Harvard University to enrol foreign students, many of whom come from China.

"The Chinese side has consistently opposed the politicisation of educational cooperation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

"The relevant action by the US side will only harm the image and international standing of the United States."

Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the current academic year, making up 27 per cent of its total enrollment.

Chinese nationals made up a fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024, according to university statistics.

The Trump administration’s order will require current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status.

“Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment,” the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday.

It also pointed to China’s Communist Party (CCP) as a factor for the decision.

“Harvard’s leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide,” the department said.

Harvard, which has sued the government over a separate raft of punitive measures, fired back, calling the move "unlawful."

"We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host our international students and scholars," it said in a statement, adding that it was working to offer students guidance and support.

"This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission."

Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision.

"As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enrol foreign students," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote.

"All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege," she said.

HARVARD REFUGEE

The number of Chinese international students in the United States has dropped to about 277,000 in 2024 from a high of around 370,000 in 2019, driven partly by growing tension between the world's two biggest economies and heightened US government scrutiny of some Chinese students.

"Our teachers have sent us an email saying the school is actively working hard on a response within the next 72 hours and aims to negotiate with the government," said Teresa, a Chinese postgraduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Her post on Friday on the Instagram-like Xiaohongshu platform was titled "Harvard refugee".

Zhang Kaiqi, a master's student in public health, had packed his luggage and souvenirs ready for a Friday flight back to China. But upon hearing the news, he urgently cancelled the expensive flight, losing his internship at a us NGO in China.

"I was sad and irritated. For a moment, I thought it was fake news," the 21-year-old said.

As others digested Thursday's order, two Chinese students said they were added to WhatsApp groups in which panicked foreign students were frantically sharing legal advice on their immigration status.

One provided a transcript from such a chat group that showed a lawyer advising students not to leave the country or use domestic air travel, and wait for official announcements from the school.