In Texas, a student trip to China becomes a political act

For Krislyn Massey, it all began with late nights watching Japanese anime as a child. That sparked a discovery of Chinese novels and a deep interest in studying Asia – an unlikely path for someone who grew up in a conservative family in Houston, Texas.

She began learning Japanese and getting involved in student-run educational exchanges. One of those, Bridge Culture Exchange Academy, led her to attend a virtual conference in 2023 with students in China, strangers who soon became friends she wanted to meet face-to-face.

By the time she was earning a master’s degree in international studies, the 25-year-old was aware of the high-level tensions between Washington and Beijing. Still, she did not expect how carefully she would have to navigate the politics surrounding even a student trip to China – once a routine part of international study.

Last November, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order on “hardening” the state government against the Communist Party of China. Among several measures restricting engagement with China was one that barred public university and government employees from travelling to the country for “professional purposes” or accepting gifts from any institution associated with China.

The same order also discourages personal travel to China by state employees by requiring them to submit reports before and after any trip.

Massey knew she could not go as part of a programme through her school, the University of North Texas, which had already cancelled at least one faculty-led student trip to China by the time she decided to go. Her trip, scheduled for July of this year, was instead organised through a non-profit group called International Student Conferences (ISC), where she had a leadership role.