The significant shift in tone from the US government came soon after the Chinese embassy in the US advised students to “be cautious when choosing” Houston as their destination when entering America, saying some students have been “unjustifiably questioned and harassed” recently.

On Monday, while meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House, Trump told reporters in the White House that the US would allow more Chinese to study in his country.

“I hear so many stories about we’re not going to allow their [Chinese] students … to come in. We’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important, 600,000 students,” Trump said, which would more than double the current number of Chinese students learning in the country.

He said his administration was going to “get along good” with China, and repeated that Xi had invited him to visit China.

03:40

Absurd, anxious, concerned: Students react to US revoking Chinese student visas

Absurd, anxious, concerned: Students react to US revoking Chinese student visas

Trump said he had spoken to Xi “fairly recently” and that “at some point, probably during this year or shortly thereafter, we’ll go to China”.