When Lulu Lu, a student from Beijing, was about to go to bed, she was suddenly awakened by a loud knock at the door.
After she opened the door, a man broke in and forced himself into the room. He shone a flashlight into her face and shouted, “Lie down! Give me your phone!”
Lulu was initially stunned, but a few seconds later she came back to her senses. She followed the other person’s instructions, burying her face in the mattress and raising her hands above her head. The intruder then covered Lulu’s eyes, tied her hands together, and finally asked her to record a message on her phone for her parents, begging them to pay a ransom.
The above scenario is not real. It was a simulation conducted by a coach at a private summer training camp in Beijing for Lulu. The purpose of the simulation was to train her how to handle kidnapping situations, in case she actually encountered something similar during her study trip to the United States in two months.
According to a report by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on July 26, such courses are the latest measures taken by Chinese students to address potential risks associated with studying in the United States. This awareness of risks stems, to some extent, from the increasingly unfriendly policies of the Trump administration towards international students, as well as the constantly changing relationship between China and the United States.
February 26, 2026, New York, USA: An international student at Columbia University was “arrested and then released” by immigration officials, leading to public protests. IC Photo
Less than 10 days ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security introduced new regulations, stipulating that the maximum duration of stay for foreign students and exchange visitors is 4 years. Any extension requires an application to be submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Regarding this, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian pointed out on July 17 that imposing restrictions on cultural exchanges by the US does not serve the interests of either side. China firmly opposes the discriminatory practices of the US towards specific countries.
Lulu used to study at an elite international high school in Beijing. Most of the students there choose to study abroad or further their education in regions like Hong Kong, China.
After Lulu decided to study in the United States, when her mother learned about a summer training camp that provided preparatory courses for international students, she immediately signed her daughter up for the program.
Lulu participated in a summer camp in Fujian, where several guests shared their past experiences. In another summer camp in Beijing, it was claimed that they could provide practical training for dealing with "potential dangers".
After Lu Lu completed the 'simulated kidnapping', the coaches sat down with her to review the situation. The key points they reminded her to remember included: lying down on the ground, understanding the demands of the kidnappers, and not provoking them.
I hope I will never have to use these things, but after learning, I feel much more vigilant. Lulu said, she is going to study at a university in Washington State, USA this September.
The training camp that provides “abduction drills” claims in its social media advertisements that their safety training is based on reports generated after risk assessments were conducted at 110 university campuses in the United States.
This course allows students to simulate dealing with situations such as hate crimes, phone and internet fraud, and school bullying. The latest addition involves learning how to deal with surprise inspections by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The advertisement states: “This training simulates ICE enforcement strategies and procedures, preparing participants to remain calm and effectively respond in various everyday environments—including homes, schools, and public places—in case of sudden encounters or raids.”
According to The South China Morning Post, although the Trump administration did modify the previous regulations that restricted immigration officials from entering schools and universities to carry out operations, some of the other scenarios offered by the training camp seem to lack a real risk basis. For example, there is currently no evidence indicating an increase in stranger kidnappings in the United States; such crimes are still considered quite rare.
However, the founder of this Beijing training camp refused to respond to the interview request from The South China Morning Post.
Reports indicate that many families like the Lu family are still continuing their plans to send their children to study in the United States. However, they are no longer as certain about the future they once hoped for.
A parent from Guangdong Province said that their family has already invested too much in their son's education, and they cannot change their direction now.
This family has always planned to send their child to the United States for higher education. However, faced with deteriorating circumstances, they have lowered their expectations, and they received fewer university offers than they anticipated. Nevertheless, they decided to continue going to the United States. “But if it’s difficult to stay in the United States after graduation, we might consider working in Hong Kong in the future,” said the mother.
Snow College professor Ma Yingyi also observed this trend. She believes that the policy changes under the Trump administration have affected these families' long-term confidence in the future. Now, they are more worried about whether the visa policies will remain stable and whether there will be employment opportunities after graduation.
According to the annual report on international students and scholars published by the International Education Association of America (IIE), the Open Doors Report, the number of Chinese students in American universities has been declining for five consecutive years, dropping to just under 266,000 by 2025. Reports from private education institutions in China also indicate that the UK surpassed the United States as the preferred study destination for Chinese students in 2019.
However, some students still believe that the quality of academic programs is the most important factor to consider. For example, Steve Liu, a master’s student in finance, said that in his field of study, the United States still has a clear advantage.
As for the potential risks that others are concerned about—visa issues, ICE raid inspections, or mass shootings—Steve Liu said that he would handle these issues when they occur. In any case, he hopes to avoid such situations.
"I'll be in California, where Democrats have a larger presence." He said half jokingly, half seriously.
