China has issued a notice suggesting Chinese students reevaluate some US states as Ohio increases restrictions and trade tensions escalate between the US and China.
Citing the recent passing of Ohio’s higher education bill that restricts Chinese partnerships, the “moderately phrased” notice advises students to “conduct safety risks assessments and enhance their awareness” of prohibitive legislation in pertinent states.
The warning “was not directly related to Chinese students studying abroad,” according to Mingze Sang, director of China’s Education Agency Association, or BOSSA, even though it reflected “growing sensitivities around US-China academic cooperation.”
In light of the “deterioration of Sino-US economic and trade relations and the domestic security situation in the United States,” China’s tourism ministry released a new alert on April 9 that accompanied the advice, urging Chinese tourists to “fully assess the risks of traveling to the US.”
Given the Trump administration’s revocation of nearly 1,000 international student visas since coming to office, experts have said the study abroad warning marks a relatively “measured” and “reasonable” response from Beijing.
“The moderately-phrased advisories are more an expression of dissatisfaction with US policy than an effort to block travel,” said David Weeks, CEO of Sunrise International marketing and research firm.
“This [study abroad] warning signals displeasure with Ohio’s actions, but it’s quite measured: it does not call for students to avoid Ohio, nor does it warn Chinese universities to avoid the state,” added Weeks
Ohio’s higher education reform bill, which was signed into law on March 28, mandates that faculty strikes and DEI projects be discontinued at public universities. Students, staff, and Democratic lawmakers have protested the bill in significant numbers.
The law does not go as far as states like Texas or Florida in outlawing Chinese collaborations, even if it forbids Ohio’s public colleges from taking Chinese money and mandates more stringent security screening of potential Chinese partnerships.
Additionally, according to Weeks, the majority of Chinese families already evaluate the crime and campus safety statistics of various states and localities, and experts concur that the real-world effects on students are probably going to be minimal.
However, this warning as well as the current trade disputes, which include tariffs and more general geopolitical uncertainty, are already having an impact on students.
However, Chinese education authorities have noted an increase in applications to the UK and Australia rather than the US, indicating that “both this alert and the ongoing trade tensions, including tariffs and broader geopolitical uncertainties, are already influencing student mobility trends,” Sang said.
The UK was named as the most desirable study destination in a recent white paper regarding the internationalization of Chinese higher education in 2025, given the ongoing growth and diversification of Chinese outbound mobility.
The situation needs to be “continuously monitored” in light of the current geopolitical unrest, according to Grace Zhu, branch manager for BONARD China. She advised students to apply to universities in other nations and areas to broaden their options.Since policy uncertainty means that “state media haven’t yet coalesced around an anti-American stance… and thus impact on public opinion is still in flux,” Weeks said, it is currently unclear how the ongoing trade war would affect people-to-people interactions between the US and China.
Additionally, Chinese families will probably continue to be attentive to return on investment and career prospects, applying to more universities across numerous destinations if tariffs result in a low-growth economic climate in China.
The Chinese economy will eventually recover, Weeks insisted, adding that “Chinese families will likely upgrade their consumption, seeking prestige over budget destinations.”
F-1 visa issuance to Chinese students is currently rather consistent, despite the fact that student visa revocations caused international anger and that postgraduate interest in the US fell by 40%.
The state department reports that F-1 visa issuance to Chinese students decreased by slightly more than 5% in February 2025, with 1,117 visas given to Chinese students, while other major markets like India and Nigeria are heading lower.
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