US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his proposal to admit hundreds of thousands of Chinese students, saying the US is “honored” to host them and warning that the American college system would “go to hell” without them.
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Facing growing anger from his political base, Trump dismissed criticism of the plan as “insulting” and pointed to his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of a broader strategy of engagement.
“We’re getting along very well with China, and I’m getting along very well with President Xi,” he said during a cabinet meeting at the White House. “I think it’s very insulting to say students can’t come here.”
Trump argued that allowing Chinese students was mutually beneficial, claiming their absence would devastate American universities.
“You know what would happen if they didn’t? Our college system would go to hell very quickly,” he said.
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He also said he had told Xi directly that the US was “honored” to educate Chinese students. “We check, we’re careful, and we see who’s there,” he added, referring to security screenings, while noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio supports oversight of student admissions.
