Students cross the street on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on April 15, 2025 - Photo: AFP
More opportunities
Against the backdrop of the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea this week, on October 29, AFP published an article sharing how Chinese parents are still pursuing the "American Dream" for their children, despite strained relations between the two countries.
Many people expect the meeting between the two leaders to pave the way for stabilizing bilateral relations.
"Despite the current turmoil, it's all temporary. That's something I've always believed," Huang, a resident of Shanghai, told AFP.
Ms. Huang is determined to ensure her daughter completes her expensive education in the United States. Her 17-year-old daughter has spent three years in high school in the US and wants to study computer science at a university there.
Trump's unpredictable personality and "America First" policies have worried some of Huang's friends. They are considering sending their children to study in Europe or Australia instead of the United States.
But for Ms. Huang, the benefits of an American education far outweigh the drawbacks. "We feel that America is a country that can offer our children more opportunities, and the education there is certainly more diverse," Ms. Huang explained.
However, the costs are exorbitant. Ms. Huang estimates she currently spends over $100,000 annually on her children's tuition and living expenses in the US.
People who don't worry
Chinese students have long played a vital role for American universities – institutions that rely heavily on international students to pay their full tuition.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, China contributed 277,398 students, while the number of Indian students surpassed that of China for the first time in many years.
However, Trump has implemented policies aimed at restricting immigration. In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington would "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students."
But just a few months later, Trump announced that the U.S. would allow 600,000 Chinese students to enter the country.
According to Godot Han, who works at a cram school in Beijing, this instability doesn't seem to deter many Chinese parents. In particular, her wealthiest clients "are not worried."
"They won't just read one article and suddenly change long-prepared plans," she said.
Her center prepares around 200 Chinese students annually for US college entrance exams. A one-on-one tutoring session costs between $112 and $210 per hour.
Some parents are concerned about their children's safety following the shootings in the U.S. and the Trump administration's policies. But many still "always have the American dream," according to Ms. Han.
There was never a "honeymoon" period.
Associate Professor Dylan Loh at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) points out that the enduring appeal of American education lies in its "recognized quality and historical reputation."
"That reputation and prestige have been around for a long time, and despite the difficulties, they remain and will continue to endure for a long time," he said.
Ping Jiaqi, another parent, said that American universities could help foster "independent thinking" in his 17-year-old daughter, who is studying at an international school in Zhejiang province, eastern China.
She participated in a summer course at Brown University (USA) last year, as well as visiting several other universities in the US, and is hoping to attend university in the US.
He estimated that his daughter's entire college education in the US would cost more than $400,000.
Mr. Ping, who currently runs a consulting company for Chinese students studying abroad, said that the daily lives of his students and friends in the U.S. "have not been significantly affected" by Mr. Trump's actions.
"Looking back, US-China relations have never really been good over the past decade. There was never really a honeymoon period," he said.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/goc-nhin-cua-phu-huynh-trung-quoc-luc-nay-ve-viec-cho-con-du-hoc-tai-my-20251029153928697.htm
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