The U.S. State Department on Wednesday announced it would work with the Department of Homeland Security to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students”, in a move that might trigger retaliation and heighten tensions with Beijing.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump’s administration will no longer harbour students who have connections to China’s ruling Communist Party, including those “studying in critical fields” without elaborating.

Mr Rubio explained that the scrutiny of Chinese citizens will be extended to those from Hong Kong, stating that visa applicants from both countries will be thoroughly vetted before they can be allowed into the U.S.

“We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” the Secretary of State wrote in a brief statement on Wednesday.

The revocation of student visas is coming on the heels of simmering trade frictions between China and the U.S., which escalated last month when President Donald Trump imposed a 145 per cent tariff on Chinese imports.

Last week, the administration also attempted to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students, but a federal court granted an injunction after the university challenged the decision.

The government has similarly paused the scheduling of student visa appointments to create new protocols, asserting that the revisions are expected to include screening social media accounts for posts supporting antisemitism by prospective international students.