CNN — The United States will “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday in a major escalation of tensions with Beijing, and another blow to American higher education institutions.
The plan was met with strong opposition from China, which said on Thursday it had lodged a formal protest with the US over what it called a “politically motivated and discriminatory” move.
The revocations will target Chinese students including “those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,” Rubio said.
“We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” he said, adding that the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would work together on the plan.
“GET THESE PEOPLE THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY.” – DONALD J. TRUMP
The surprise announcement risks disrupting ongoing efforts by the US and China to de-escalate tensions, coming just weeks after both sides declared a 90-day truce over punishing tariffs on each other’s goods, and deepens the spiraling confrontation between President Donald Trump and the nation’s top universities.
Rubio’s comments follow a series of extraordinary steps by the Trump administration to deter foreign students from studying in the US – from ordering embassies to pause new student visa appointments to revoking Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. (A federal judge later halted the Harvard ban.)
The latest move is set to spark consternation and outrage in China, the country of origin for almost a quarter of international students in US higher education.
It’s also likely to deepen anxiety across American universities, where Chinese and other international students are a significant source of revenue.
There are signs that Beijing has been caught off guard by the announcement. For much of Thursday, China’s state-controlled media remained largely silent on the news …
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the students who will have their visas canceled include people with ties to the Chinese Communist Party and those studying in ‘critical fields.’” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
Were any Wuhan Lab workers educated in the United States?
AI Overview, Google
While it’s difficult to definitively say whether any specific Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) workers received their full formal education in the United States, several points suggest potential connections and collaborations:
1. Collaborations and Training:
- The WIV has collaborated with various international institutions, including some in the US, such as the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
- The Galveston National Laboratory has provided biosafety training to scientists and personnel from over 45 countries, including China.
- This suggests the possibility that some WIV staff may have received training or participated in collaborative research projects at US institutions.
2. US Funding for Research:
- The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and US Agency for International Development (USAID) provided grant funding to Chinese research institutions, including the WIV, between 2014 and 2021.
- This funding supported research on coronaviruses, including risky gain-of-function experiments.
- This indicates a degree of interaction and potential for exchange of knowledge and expertise between US and Chinese researchers.
3. US Researchers’ Involvement with WIV:
- American researchers have worked with the WIV and EcoHealth Alliance on coronavirus-related research for over a decade.
- This includes gain-of-function research, raising questions about the potential transfer of knowledge and skills.
- Some US researchers co-authored publications with WIV scientists, such as Dr. Zhengli Shi, known for her work on bat coronaviruses.
4. Specific Examples of Collaborations:
- A 2007 study on bat coronaviruses involved researchers from Chinese universities, the EcoHealth Alliance, the WIV, and several universities abroad, including a US researcher.
- In 2009, researchers from EcoHealth Alliance, the WIV, and the University of Pittsburgh collaborated on a study about coronavirus evolution.
- UC Davis researchers partnered with EcoHealth Alliance and the WIV to discover novel bat coronaviruses in 2013.
5. Investigations and Concerns:
- The US government has investigated the WIV’s activities and its potential role in the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins.
- This includes scrutiny of the WIV’s collaborations with US institutions and whether research funding was diverted to classified projects.
In summary:
While direct evidence of WIV workers obtaining formal degrees from US universities is limited in the provided context, there is evidence of collaborations, training, and funding that could have facilitated the exchange of knowledge and potentially involved US-trained researchers working at the WIV.
