According to CNBC reports, Trump is expected to make an announcement on Friday about China. Of course, this could also be unrelated to international students and instead involve some new policies regarding Hong Kong.
Stocks closed lower on Thursday, erasing solid gains from earlier in the day, after President Donald Trump said he would be giving a news conference Friday regarding China.
According to Fox News’ Lucas on Twitter, Trump and Pompeo discussed possible restrictions on F and J visas for Chinese students.
In addition, The New York Times reported that students with ties to the military may have their F visas canceled.
Before this, charter flights for Chinese and U.S. students had also been cancelled several times. It is still unclear which way the situation will develop. If you plan to return to China, be careful with the information on your computer and phone and delete anything that could be considered sensitive to avoid trouble or even detention. If you stay in the U.S., also take care when going out—there are now risks beyond the pandemic, including potential protests and looting connected to Black-related unrest.
I hope this is just a way for Trump to campaign for votes by issuing some vague sanctions while reserving the final interpretation for himself—appeasing Americans while keeping room to maneuver.