And then it said it had stopped visa appointments for all foreign students. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the move against Chinese students in the US would include "those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields". Trump's first term had already spelled trouble for Chinese students. He signed an order in 2020 barring Chinese students and researchers with ties to Beijing's military from obtaining US visas. Getty Images Chinese students once made up the largest cohort of international students in the USThat order remained in place during President Joe Biden's term.