Much like during his first administration, President Donald Trump has made confronting the increasingly aggressive Chinese Communist Party (CCP) a big part of his foreign policy agenda. And while the commander-in-chief has done a great deal so far — such as prioritizing U.S. military readiness and efficiency — there are several areas where he and his team can improve to better confront America’s primary foreign adversary.
Rescind Chinese Student Visas
Whether Chinese students should be permitted to study at American universities has been a contentious question plaguing the Trump administration for the past several months.
After the State Department announced in late May that federal officials would begin “aggressively” revoking visas for these students, Trump came out weeks later reversing course. The president emphasized that such a policy is “good for our country,” and added that he’s “in favor of having them stay.”
While it’s possible the president has viewed Chinese student visas as nothing more than bargaining chips to be used in trade negotiations with Beijing, allowing hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals to study at U.S. academic institutions every year has presented notable security issues.
U.S. government agencies and Chinese affairs specialists have raised concerns about the Chinese Communist Party’s abuse of America’s student visa program to collect valuable research and intellectual property and conduct various forms of espionage. In the past few years alone, numerous Chinese nationals studying in the U.S. have been apprehended by federal officials for committing such actions.
And while not every Chinese national studying in America is a willing accomplice of the CCP, China’s national security laws require all Chinese citizens and organizations to “support, assist, and cooperate” with so-called “national intelligence efforts” and give the state the power to demand “relevant organs, organizations, and citizens provide necessary support, assistance, and cooperation.” Even if they wanted to, these students lack the power to resist any demands the Chinese government may make of them.
The Trump administration’s initial decision to revoke Chinese student visas was — and still is — the correct one. Not only should the president support that policy, but he should also encourage passage of previously introduced legislation to forcefully cut off Beijing’s access to America’s academic system.
Enforce the TikTok Ban
Similar to the visa situation, Trump hasn’t been shy about discussing the “warm spot in [his] heart for TikTok.” The president previously credited his embrace of the platform for helping him win over young voters in the 2024 election.
While Trump may be personally fond of it, the social media company’s ability to operate in the U.S. comes with significant security risks.
As Federalist Senior Contributor Helen Raleigh wrote in these pages, TikTok — which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance — “collects an enormous amount of data on its users, including IP addresses, browsing history, and biometric information.” That’s especially concerning given that, as Raleigh noted, China’s national intelligence law requires “all Chinese tech companies [to] turn over any data they collect if the government demands it.”
[READ: Trump Shouldn’t Waste His Political Capital On ‘Saving’ TikTok]
In April 2024, Congress passed legislation forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the United States. According to the left-wing Associated Press, the law gave ByteDance “nine months to sell TikTok, and a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress,” the latter of which was granted by Trump shortly after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
Despite the law only permitting one prolongation of the deadline, Trump has unilaterally delayed enforcement of the statute on two separate occasions to allow TikTok to continue operating within the U.S. Irrespective of the president’s personal views, the law is the law, and the security concerns associated with the company and its practices are very real. If ByteDance refuses to sell it to an American buyer, TikTok deserves to be banned.
Ban Chinese Purchases of Critical U.S. Land
The CCP’s espionage efforts don’t stop at social media apps and America’s classrooms, however. They’re also playing out across the country’s vast landscapes.
In recent years, Chinese entities have been purchasing an alarming amount of U.S. farmland — a significant portion of which is conveniently located near U.S. military sites. A June 2024 analysis by the New York Post, for instance, “identified 19 bases across the US from Florida to Hawaii which are in close proximity to land bought up by Chinese entities and could be exploited by spies working for the communist nation.”
[READ: Letting China Purchase US Land Poses An Even Bigger National Security Risk Than You Think]
Federalist Senior Contributor Chuck DeVore previously outlined in these pages the national security concerns of these oftentimes “strategic” purchases — namely, intellectual property theft, espionage, and even biological warfare.
“The FBI’s ongoing counterintelligence investigations and warnings from experts underscore the urgency of addressing the national security risks posed by Chinese-owned real estate,” DeVore wrote. “Failure to act swiftly and decisively leaves America vulnerable to a range of threats, from electronic espionage to biological warfare.”
Fortunately, Trump has recognized the threat of allowing unfettered Chinese purchases of critical U.S. lands. The president signed a memorandum in February, which stated in part, “The United States will protect our farmland and real estate near sensitive facilities.”
Trump and his administration should go a step further by ensuring the passage of congressional legislation aimed at securing important American farmlands and other areas from China and other adversarial powers.