Over a quarter of a million Chinese students currently studying in the U.S. are feeling increasingly uncertain about their future. Their education—and, in many cases, their long-term aspirations—now hang in the balance due to this administration’s unilateral efforts to “decouple” from China on a broader geopolitical level.

What many observers fail to realize is the vital role Chinese students have played in the development of U.S. science, technology, and engineering sectors since the 1970s.

As the lead scientist in The Right Stuff famously said of the space race:

“Our Germans are better than their Germans.”

Global success often comes down to who is on your team—and in today’s world, innovation is driven by human capital.

China continues to produce some of the world’s brightest scientists, engineers, and researchers. The nations that welcome and retain this talent are the ones that will lead the global tech race of the 2020s.

Yet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced yesterday that many Chinese students could be classified as potential threats. He stated that visas will be revoked for those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying in “critical fields”—without defining what those fields are or how many individuals would be affected.

Ironically, these so-called critical fields—like national security and advanced technology—are the very areas where the U.S. government has declared a need for rapid innovation and growth. So the question remains: Why push out the very individuals who could help the U.S. succeed?

Most Chinese students who complete their degrees in the U.S. choose to stay, contribute, and often build permanent lives here. Their presence strengthens the U.S. in its global competition for technological and scientific leadership.

This new policy not only shatters the dreams of over 250,000 students currently here—it could also deter future generations of talent from coming to the U.S., redirecting them to other nations that are ready to embrace them.

That’s not just short-sighted. It’s self-defeating.

Stay tuned for updates.