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Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated that U.S. universities will be restricting Chinese international students’ access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields involving sensitive technology due to security concerns.

• “… not particle physics”: Campbell emphasized the need for more students in STEM fields to fill university spots that Americans are not filling, suggesting India as the primary source for these students due to challenges posed by China in desired academic and scientific collaborations. While Chinese students are still welcome, he urged them to pursue arts instead of STEM courses. “I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics,” he said.

• Tense U.S.-China relations: Chinese students form the largest group of international students in the U.S., with nearly 290,000 enrolled in the 2022-23 academic year, followed by about 270,000 Indian students. Campbell’s comments come amid deteriorating U.S.-China relations, particularly in technology. Critics argue that these strained relations and concerns over intellectual property theft have hindered scientific cooperation and unfairly targeted Chinese students.

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