When Trump acts, it’s pure “magic 8-ball” chaos. He’ll contradict himself overnight if there’s profit on the table. Chinese students? Same story. One day, he’s crying “spies!” and digging into their family history; the next, he’s yanking US study visas by the truckload. America’s door slams shut. Then—barely a beat later—he spins around and vows to welcome 600,000 Chinese students, treating them like jackpot slot machines.
Trump slams the panic button—600,000 China visas on offer as US colleges circle the drain. MAGA loyalty? Out the window.
He’s turning so fast you can literally hear the rubber squeal. Trump would rather trigger his own MAGA base than face empty pockets. Why? International student numbers are collapsing. The big-spending Chinese crowd sees red flags everywhere—so they’re backing off fast. With revenue free-falling, US universities are queuing up for bankruptcy. Trump’s spooked, and he’ll swallow his pride for a cash infusion, no matter the cost.
But here’s the kicker: Trump’s flip-flops already scared off the Chinese Mainland students, who now flock to Hong Kong universities instead. One side sinks, the other rises—the southward study wave is just getting started. Thanks for the boost, Donald.
Yesterday, Fox News got the full show. Trump lobbed a bomb conservatives could barely stomach. He says Chinese students aren’t just important—they’re the spine holding university budgets upright. Cut their numbers in half, and the whole US education system could go belly-up. Most colleges would be done for.
Trump’s Panic Button — Cash First, Politics Later
The crisis bites, Trump flips. Yesterday’s “kick them out” schtick is gone; now he wants everyone and their cousins to come over. He’s promising 600,000 visas for Chinese students in the next two years. No one rejected; the more, the merrier.
Chinese student kept US colleges alive. Trump’s crackdown bled them dry. Now, layoffs everywhere and even a big U-turn can’t stop the collapse.
Fox’s host—pure MAGA, and none too pleased—hits back: If you give away local student spots to foreigners, how’s that keeping America great? Trump shrugs: “It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business”, then he added: “ If we were to cut that in half, which perhaps makes some people happy, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business”. Ruthless math. That’s the new Trump doctrine.
Tension’s thick. MAGA loyalists split—The UK’s Independent reports “civil war” in Trump’s base over the China pivot. Trump digs in regardless; the exodus is triggering a closure wave unlike anything US higher ed has seen.
Shockwaves Hit Campus
Visa rules are brutal: background checks that go through your DMs, slow paperwork—so many students missed Fall enrollment had to go elsewhere. August arrivals dropped 20%. US State Department yanked 6,000 visas since January—better to punish everyone than miss a single “suspect.” No wonder future students are spooked. The numbers keep shrinking.
US colleges have long leaned on fat international tuition to keep the lights on. Now, that pipeline’s collapsing. Financial Times cites loss estimates topping $900 million; if trends continue, the hit could triple to $3 billion.
What do desperate universities do? They cut deep. Layoffs everywhere—John Hopkins slashes 2,000 jobs, USC axes 630 staff. Even so, the monthly closure rate is “two schools down” each month, says State Higher Education Execs. Grim.
Hong Kong’s Big Win — Students Flock South
Trump knows the stakes are sky-high. The only lifeline? Throw open the gates for Chinese “money trees.” They’re richer, steadier, and have always paid top dollar. With this cash, universities tottering on the edge get a second lease.
But here’s the rub—Trump’s policies are built on quicksand. Today’s welcome could flip tomorrow: Chinese students go from “golden tickets” to “security risks” in a heartbeat. Deportation, jail—you name it. Chinese Mainland parents are wise, hedging bets on Hong Kong, the UK, and Australia instead. After all, these places offer world-class degrees without the gamble.
It’s not just America spooking Chinese students. Canada just slashed foreign student visas to dink down surging rent prices. Hong Kong now stands ready for another intake—students who “couldn’t make Canada” now see a ticket south.
Hong Kong isn’t waiting around. The fresh “Study in Hong Kong” task force just kicked off, rolling out a big campaign across the Chinese Mainland and beyond. Trump wants to scramble for talent, but his reputation for mood swings makes it a hard sell. Hong Kong’s in pole position.
Lai Ting-yiu
What Say You?
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
Today, December 7, marks the second election since the Legislative Council finally got back on track. Today, I can’t shake the memory of how a "deformed democracy" ravaged this chamber for years. It was a malignancy—a tumor growing from within—that trapped us in endless chaos and nearly destroyed Hong Kong. This nightmare remains burned into my mind.
Let’s look at the receipts from those insane years. Three absurd realities prove how a tidal wave of radicalism washed away a functioning Council. First, post-"Occupy Central," a crop of "political stars" rode a wave of extremism to besiege LegCo, degrading election quality for years. Second, during the "Black Violence" era, District Councils devolved into a "destroyers' paradise" of unprecedented disorder. Third, to appease radical voters, Pan-democrats hijacked the House Committee election for six months, paralyzing governance. The Council became an endangered structure on the verge of collapse, dragging government operations down with it. Without the Central Government stepping in to restore order, Hong Kong was finished. To stop history from repeating, everyone needs to vote on December 7.
The truth is, this "deformed democracy" was rotting the soil of Hong Kong politics long before "Occupy Central." The British government deliberately planted "election landmines," allowing politicians using unorthodox methods to rise. They realized the game: be radical, be outrageous, be uncouth, and you get votes. Figures like Wong Yuk-man, Albert Chan, and "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung seized power this way. Once that door opened, the Council’s normal operations were destroyed, turning the chamber into a mud-wrestling pit.
That was just the prelude. The subversion peaked with the 6th Legislative Council election following the 2014 "Occupy Central" movement. Driven by a passion for "rebellion," masses of young people blindly voted for fresh faces who built their brands on radicalism, ignoring their complete lack of ability or track record. The result? First-time winners included "Localist" figures dripping with "Hong Kong Independence" sentiment like Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, alongside "Occupy" student leader Nathan Law.
Oath-Taking Circus: Post-"Occupy" radicals Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching stormed the chamber advocating independence, turning solemn oaths into a disgraceful farce.
The "Open House" of Radical Chaos
Worse still, opportunists within the Pan-democrat camp saw this worked and jumped into the fray. The prime examples were the notoriously "uncouth and aggressive" Ted Hui and the self-proclaimed radical environmentalist Eddie Chu.
When Baggio Leung, Yau Wai-ching, and Nathan Law stormed the Council, political insiders told me the candidacy door had been flung too wide. It became an "unguarded open house"—easy to enter, hard to clear out—guaranteeing chaos. Fortunately, their greed for victory blinded them to the risks. They played games with their inaugural oaths, effectively playing themselves into a corner and getting disqualified (DQ).
Even after they were ousted, the "miracle" of their election accelerated the degradation of our politics. Fanatical voters continued to back incompetent politicians just to vent rebellious angst. Even younger members of the traditional Pan-democrats started acting out to cater to this new taste. Ted Hui is the textbook example: violently snatching a female civil servant's phone and throwing foul-smelling filth in the Chamber. It became a competition of who could be the most radical, obstructing bills and making livelihood administration nearly impossible.
By 2019, when the anti-extradition bill unrest broke out, the Council became a disaster zone. Then came the second absurdity. During the November District Council elections, held amidst turmoil, radical candidates swarmed to grab seats. At the same time, "black-clad people" physically attacked Establishment opponents with beatings, arson, and intimidation. They won the majority, reducing the District Councils to a "destroyers' paradise." Long-serving community councilors were wiped out, marking an unprecedented and unbearable degradation of our institutions.
Filth in the Chamber: "Uncouth" politician Ted Hui proved his disruptive intent by literally throwing foul-smelling rot during a Council meeting.
Paralyzing the System From Within
Inside LegCo, Pan-democrats brought the street riots into the Chamber, competing to perform "radical shows." The most absurd spectacle was Civic Party member Dennis Kwok holding the House Committee Chairman election hostage. He "played games" for over half a year. Sixteen meetings passed without electing a chairman, blocking massive amounts of government bills. Forced by the situation, even moderate Pan-democrats joined the madness, turning the Chamber into a real-life version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Recently, some claim the reformed Legislative Council has lost its monitoring function. This is 100% a fallacy. The Council back then was thoroughly wrecked; normal operations were paralyzed. What monitoring was there? Government administration was dragged down, pushing us to the brink of "mutual destruction" (laam caau).
Thankfully, the Central Government stepped in at the critical moment to pull the Council back on the right track. If "deformed democracy" had continued, Hong Kong would have derailed and fallen off a cliff, destroyed in a single day.
To prevent this painful history from repeating, everyone must vote enthusiastically on December 7. Support the Legislative Council moving forward on the correct track.
Lai Ting-yiu
