U.S. to begin revoking visas for Chinese students

• One senior Trump administration official confirmed to Axios that the order applies to all students from China, noting that Rubio's announcement coincides with trade negotiations between the two countries.
• "Everything is connected," the official said.

The latest: The Chinese Embassy in D.C. announced Thursday it has "lodged a solemn démarche with the U.S. side without delay" and said the U.S. should "immediately correct its mistakes and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students."

• State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a Thursday briefing that prohibiting entry to the U.S. by those "who might pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety is key to protecting U.S. citizens at home."

Driving the news: Rubio made the announcement on X Wednesday, saying the revocation of visas of Chinese students includes for those "with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields."

• He said in an emailed statement soon after that under President Trump's leadership, the State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to "aggressively revoke" the visas.
• The Trump administration will also "revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications" from China and Hong Kong, Rubio said.
• Neither statement specified whether the directive would impact all students from China.

What they're saying: A State Department official told Axios the Trump administration was taking action to "protect Americans and rebalance" the U.S. relationship with China.

• "China exploited our visa system for decades to advance the priorities of the Communist Party," the official said.
• "They sent students to our best colleges and research universities. Many of these so called guests in our country arrived with one purpose — to steal our intellectual property on Beijing's behalf," the official added.
• "The President's goal is clear: we will put America first, and that means our priorities on everything from trade to immigration should benefit Americans, not other nations at the expense of our people."
• Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Wednesday evening.

Zoom out: The Trump administration has targeted universities and students, policing foreign nationals' conduct and speech.

• As part of its pressure campaign against Harvard, the administration tried to pull the school's ability to enroll international students last week. A judge temporarily barred the move after Harvard sued the administration over the action.
• Rubio also sought to launch an AI-fueled "Catch and Revoke" effort to cancel the visas of foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other designated terror groups.

Flashback: Rubio has been a China hawk for years. In 2018 as a U.S. senator, he launched the successful effort to ban the China-funded Confucius Institutes from college campuses in his home state of Florida.

• Rubio was also a lead proponent of banning TikTok because of Chinese influence. But he has kept those concerns to himself now that he's an appointee of President Trump, who has praised the platform and delayed the banning it in the U.S.

More from Axios:

• Trump pauses student visa interviews, weighs social media vetting for applicants
• Trump admin nixes Harvard's ability to enroll international students
• Scoop: State Dept. to use AI to revoke visas of foreign students who appear "pro-Hamas"

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.