Donald Trump said 600,000 Chinese students will be allowed into the US to study in colleges, amid ongoing trade talks with China, Fox News reported.
In a speech at the White House on Monday, the president's announcement signaled a potential warming of US-China relations after escalating tariffs and restrictions on Chinese students.
"I hear so many stories that we won't let their students in," Trump told reporters. "We'll let their students in. It's very important, 600,000 students. It's very important. But we'll get along with China," he added.
Trump's student visa proposal comes amid trade talks with the Chinese government.
Earlier this year, the administration imposed a 145% tariff on all Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to respond with a 125% tariff on U.S. exports.
In May, negotiators in Geneva agreed to halt the additional tariffs, but Trump continued to warn of additional sanctions.
Last week, he imposed a 200% tariff on Chinese-made magnets, citing what he described as Beijing's "monopoly" on the global market.
"I don't think we're going to have a problem with that," Trump told reporters.
"China, smartly, has taken action and taken a monopoly on magnets around the world. It will probably take us a year to get them,” he said.
There are currently about 270,000 Chinese students enrolled in American universities.
In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to “aggressively cancel” visas for Chinese nationals, especially those associated with the Communist Party or sensitive areas of study.
Trump has since changed his tune, telling reporters in June that he “has always been in favor” of welcoming students from China. Trump’s comments about welcoming Chinese students came before his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
When asked about a possible summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said he would like to meet with him this year.
“As you know, we get a lot of money from China because of tariffs and different things. "This is a very important relationship," Trump said. "Our economic relationship is much better than it was under Biden. But he allowed this. They just took it out."