Commentary: China opens door to 100,000 American students. The US must do more to get them there

If Americans head to China for educational exchanges, their experience and expertise could benefit more than the US, says Kevin Chen from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping walk along the Colonnade of the White House, on Sep 24, 2026, in Washington. (Photo: AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.

SINGAPORE: If the United States sees China as its most consequential strategic rival, it needs people who understand how China thinks and works.

So when Chinese President Xi Jinping invited 100,000 American students to study in China over the next five years during the Washington summit with US President Donald Trump last week, the pledge deserved some context.

At its peak around 2012, there were nearly 15,000 Americans studying in China. These numbers declined over the past decade amid the COVID-19 pandemic and political tensions. In 2026, there were fewer than 2,000.

Granted, not all returning students will become China experts. However, a shrinking pool of Americans with firsthand experience of China will weaken the US’ ability to develop, use and retain expertise needed to manage the relationship. Relying on second-hand information raises the risk of miscalculation.

Copyright for this text belongs to CNA.