China has warned people to think twice before visiting the US, citing trade tensions. He also instructed students to be careful about studying there, accusing them of hacking two American universities. And it vowed to reduce the number of Hollywood films that can be shown in China.
The trade war between the US and China has already erod more than just economic ties. From trade to culture and education, the rapid expansion of the battlefield highlights how vulnerable the relationship between the US and China has become.
The US has revoked visas for Chinese students and academics as part of the Trump administration's broader targeting international students. The move was not directly related to trade disputes, but some conservatives have suggested linking them. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., posted online last week that retaliation for attacking every student in China with his own tariffs was a “great idea.”
For decades, even as political or economic tensions flare, the flow of students, travelers, artists and businessmen between nations served as a steady force. However, as relations have deteriorated in recent years, the two countries have begun to turn these ties into negotiation tips.
“It's an emotional response, not a rational response,” said Shen Dingli, an international relations scholar based in Shanghai. “Radically, the more strained China-US trade relations become, the more they need to maintain an overall balance to avoid a complete conflict.”
Until recently, both the US and China were trying to rehabilitate these soft interactions, perhaps as they had a glimpse into how dangerous their absence was.
In Trump's first term and early President Joseph R. Biden, relationships were inflamed by the coronavirus pandemic in decades, plunged into conflict over Taiwan, spy balloons suspected. At the same time, the long-standing closure of China's borders during the pandemic has frozen interpersonal exchanges.
When Xi and Biden finally tried to try their relationship in 2023, they pledged to restore some of those exchanges as a way to compensate for the bond. Xi Qing Kai said he would invite more American students to China. American officials have pledged to welcome Chinese students.
Economic and political considerations have always been inexplicable from these Zetentes. Last year, China was able to import the most foreign films since 2019 amid an inadequate economy. Official media pointed out that imported films improve box office revenue. American musicians who performed in China brought tourism to Host City. China wanted to predict that it was as open as it had tried to seduce foreign investors.
In the US, Chinese students, which make up a quarter of international students, are important sources of funding for American universities. According to US government data, it donated approximately $14.3 billion to the US economy in 2023.
Still, both sides respected the bond as being valuable in itself. “China-US relations are experiencing ups and downs,” a Chinese state media article said.
Now those promises are fading.
To retaliate US tariffs, China has announced its own collection, export control, banned certain American companies doing business in China, and imported Hollywood films.
The government has made it clear that it may hope for and encourage an economic freeze that will generally spill over attitudes towards the US. The tariffs “inevitably reduce how positive Chinese audiences are watching American films,” the national film administration said.
A day ago, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism had warned travelers to “completely assess” the risk of visiting the US, given “deteriorating China's economic and trade relations.”
Another warning from the Department of Education did not mention the trade war and instead targeted academic cooperation with China, focusing on laws passed in Ohio. However, it was released on the same day as the tourism warning, and was the first warning issued by the ministry to Chinese students going abroad since 2021.
On Tuesday, China's state media individually accused the University of California and the University of Virginia of taking part in the cyberattacks of the Asian Winter Games held earlier this year. (The authorities also said they added three people who are believed to be affiliated with the US National Security Agency to their wanted list. The hashtag encourages people to report clues about American spies that have been trending on social media.)
The University in Beijing and the US Embassy did not immediately comment.
Beijing study abroad consultant Wang Li said last week that messages from parents and students were flooded. She held a live stream with 1,800 viewers and discussed the Department of Education warning on Monday, where she addressed questions about whether people still can apply for visas or whether they could be encouraged to do so.
“This was all very sudden,” Wang said in an interview, referring to both the provincial warning and the cancellation of US government visas for many international students from China. “That's why it caused panic.”
On social media in China, some users have said they are debating whether to cancel their trip to the US during the next five days of May Day holiday. They were turned away at the border and cited the fear of general hostility towards China.
Dawei, a professor of international relations at Tsinge University in Beijing, said the travel and research notice was a warning shot from the Chinese government to Washington. He said they acknowledged that they were not a complete ban, but that the country was on the path to escalation and that China could go further.
“If you lose control, everything can happen and it can be dangerous,” he said. “So I think it's a warning that the logic behind China's actions should not be extended to other areas.”
However, Professor DA also said there is a real reason why Chinese students are worried about going to the US. Government officials under both Democrat and Republican administrations have accused Chinese scholars of being spying. Da said he himself was suspended multiple times due to extended interrogation at the US border.
Florida has restricted employment for Chinese citizens by public universities. The House of Representatives bill would prohibit Chinese citizens from studying in the United States, but it is unlikely to be passed.
Republican lawmakers have also requested that several universities provide information on the finances and research of Chinese students.
Wang, a study abroad consultant, said tensions scared even those most keen to build connections with the US.
“Many students feel that even though they respect America's freedom, tolerance and rich academic resources, they have to change direction,” she said.
In her livestream, she urged viewers to keep their options open by applying to universities in Australia or Europe as backup.
“Leave the safety net, OK?” she said.
siyi Zhao Contributed research.
