WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the United States will start revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.

In a statement, Rubio said the department will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from China and Hong Kong.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China has the second highest number of international students pursing higher education in the United States in 2023/2024 with 277,398 students, according to the Institute of International Education.

On Tuesday, it was reported that the U.S. Department of State had halted new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants.

The Trump administration has expanded social media vetting of foreign students and is seeking to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda.

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(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Leslie Adler and Paul Thomasch)