WASHINGTON: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday (May 28) that the US will start revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. US President Donald Trump's administration will "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields", Rubio said in a statement. He added that 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 had the second highest number of international students pursuing higher education in the US in the 2023/2024 school year, with 277,398 students, according to the Institute of International Education. On Tuesday, it was reported that the US 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 fulfil his hardline immigration agenda.