Source: China Youth Daily
A large number of americans affected by Order 10043 decided not to tolerate the unfair treatment of the United States, and recently spontaneously established a website (www.10043.org), launched an operation called "ANB Academic Borderless", and prepared to file a class-action lawsuit against the US government.
Screenshot of the website
The anonymous initiator of the action told the reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network that more than 1,100 students have participated in and supported the lawsuit against the United States and resolutely defended their rights and interests. They are still collecting cases of discrimination and damage to the rights and interests of Chinese students in preparation for litigation. The anonymous promoter said, "I have had two conversations with Ella Kuzban, a prominent American human rights lawyer, and intend to hire him as a lawyer." ”
For some inaccurate information previously circulated, the above-mentioned anonymous initiators made an exclusive rebuttal in an interview with the reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network: "What needs to be clarified is that we have not entered any fundraising link at present. Previous reports by the South China Morning Post and other media reports that "300,000 US dollars have been raised" are not true. ”
On the issue of litigation funding, the anonymous sponsor said it is expected that up to $750,000 in funding will be needed to win the lawsuit, which can be difficult for them as students, and litigation will be a lengthy process. However, the victims of Order 10043 have no wavering belief in defending their rights and interests and pursuing academic freedom. Because "bullying and oppression are still ongoing."
On November 11, 2019, then-U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad published a signed article titled "The United States Welcomes Chinese Students" in China Youth Daily. In recent years, the U.S. government has also repeatedly said that "the United States welcomes Chinese students."
But this is not the case.
Recently, the US side has refused to sign more than 500 Chinese students studying in science and engineering in the United States, which once again makes people strongly question the contrast between the actual actions and statements of the US side.
The US side refused to sign this batch of Chinese students on the basis of the so-called "Presidential Decree No. 10043". Order 10043 is a presidential decree signed by then U.S. President Donald Trump on May 29, 2020. Under the presidential decree, the U.S. side "suspends and restricts" students and researchers related to the Chinese military from entering the United States to study or conduct research.
Previously, the US side has always claimed that Chinese students studying in the United States have been "lured or coerced to engage in coercive, deceptive or illegal activities, and use relevant research to enhance China's military strength." In a list given by the Us side, it includes the "seven national defense schools" such as Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and some Chinese science and engineering colleges.
More than a year has passed, the US government has changed, and Order 10043 is still used as a tool and excuse to infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students. Dennis Hu, a Chinese student with a Ph.D. at Northeastern University, said in an interview with the University of Pennsylvania newspaper: "Ironically and absurdly, many of the Chinese students who have been denied visas study a profession that is far from military applications, such as finance, business and art. ”
Li Ning, who has received a 5-year full scholarship for doctoral students in American universities, was also recently rejected by the US government. He helplessly told the reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network: "My study and research major is related to coping with global climate change, and I also need international exchanges and cooperation. However, the visa officer gave me a refusal based on the undergraduate school I attended 7 years ago. My schools and teachers in the United States have issued letters of support for me, and I am very much looking forward to my ability to promote relevant research projects as soon as possible, but the United States only has an unreasonable ban, so that I can only postpone my academic research process indefinitely. If I can't enroll this year and can't complete my tutor's project on time, I may have to give up the opportunity to enroll. ”
More Chinese students affected by Order 10043 said that in the implementation of the presidential decree, it is easy to cause "one-size-fits-all" consequences due to the difficulty of defining the boundaries of the decree itself. In other words, it means that the U.S. visa officer has the grounds for unconditional refusal.
Li Yanmin, who was recently refused a visa by the US consulate, encountered a similar situation. "I studied 'non-sensitive' business as both undergraduate and graduate, and I had previously started a graduate program in the United States. Due to the return of the country in the middle of the country, the current visa expires. In the process of recently handing out the visa, I first encountered a 10-day administrative review, and then I was notified of the refusal of the visa, and the reason for the refusal was 'Order 10043'. Li Yanmin, who cannot return to the United States to continue her studies, said that this has completely disrupted her academic plans, and she is now confused about how to continue her studies in the future.
Wang Xiran, who has been denied visas many times, told the reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network: "I studied at an ordinary '985' college in China, and last year because of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the US Embassy in China suspended related business, so I went to Cambodia to apply for a US visa." However, I was refused a visa because my resume mentioned that I had participated in an exchange program at a listed school in the United States. At the second interview, the visa officer did not look at any materials, just asked about the exchange experience, and gave me a 'white list'. ”
Wang Xiran said: "The openness, inclusiveness and academic freedom flaunted by the United States are very ridiculous. ”
Since the Biden administration took office, it has always pretended not to see the unfairness of Order 10043. This has also aroused many questions from American public opinion and major universities.
According to a recent study released by Georgetown University, "the scope of this ban is unclear because there are many key terms and concepts that are not defined." In addition to attending certain schools, Chinese students may also be denied visas because of a certain period of work experience in the past, or for participating in Chinese government scholarship programs.
Order 10043 could prevent more than one-fifth of Chinese freshmen from enrolling in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math education) graduate programs in the United States, the report said. "We estimate that between 3,000 and 5,000 students have been denied visas, which equates to 16 to 27 percent of the approximately 19,000 Chinese students in the U.S. STEM graduate program each year." Obviously, this data from American colleges and universities directly negates the statement that the US government has always claimed that "it only affects a very small number of students".
Cornell University Vice Provost Wendy Wolfford, who wrote to Secretary of State Blinken in the name of the school, expressed concern about the interpretation of relevant U.S. policies, arguing that consular officials are likely to interpret policies arbitrarily, unclearly, and excessively.
In her letter, she said that in continuing to implement Order 10043, "the uneven and unpredictable interpretation of policies is likely to bring great uncertainty to international students and the American universities they attend." She hopes that the U.S. Department of State will give clear guidelines for the implementation of Order 10043 to prevent outstanding and qualified international students from being hindered from studying in the United States.
The University of Pennsylvania Journal previously reported that Penn President Amy Gutman also expressed dissatisfaction with Order 10043 in an email to Chinese students.
"When I first heard this announcement on May 29, 2020, I was dismayed because it had a negative impact on our Chinese students and scholars and further affected our mission as a global research university," he said. ”
Zhou Lei, a Chinese student who has been denied visas many times, told the reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network: "This ban is absurd, and there is obvious unfairness and unreasonableness. We are only college students who have been admitted to American universities through formal channels and are engaged in normal studies, but the US government has repeatedly charged us with false accusations. I think that education and academia should not be linked to politics. ”
Zhang Zhehao, who has received an acceptance notice for a doctoral student in physics at a university in the United States, recounts his experience of being denied a visa: "As an innocent student, I was treated unfairly by Order 10043, just because I had studied at a school on the U.S. ban list. I think this is unacceptable. This policy of serious discrimination has blocked the way for many ordinary students to carry out legitimate academic exchanges, seriously endangered academic freedom, and hurt the academics of countless innocent students like me who are constantly advancing for academic dreams. ”
More Than 500 Chinese Students Denied Visas to the United States Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian: We have lodged solemn representations with the US side
Regarding the recent refusal of the United States to sign at least 500 Chinese students, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said a few days ago that the current US administration claims to attach importance to openness to international students, but continues to enshrine a presidential decree full of prejudice and discrimination as a guideline, which is completely inconsistent with the US side's self-proclaimed concept of openness and freedom and the statement of welcoming Chinese students, and it is continuing to turn back the wheel of history.
Wang Wenbin stressed that people-to-people exchanges are the foundation of Sino-US relations, and academic education and scientific and technological exchanges are an important part of Sino-US people-to-people exchanges. We urge the US side to face up to and reconsider this issue, stop the groundless restrictions on Chinese students studying abroad, and protect their legitimate rights and interests.
(In the article, the interviewees Li Ning, Li Yanmin, Wang Xiran, Zhou Lei, and Zhang Zhehao are pseudonyms - reporter's note)