CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — For students around the world, an acceptance letter to Harvard University has represented the pinnacle of achievement, offering a spot among the elite at a campus that produces Nobel Prize winners, captains of industry and global leaders.

For students around the world, an acceptance letter to Harvard University has represented the pinnacle of achievement.

Beyond the shock for students, President Trump’s moves against higher education are being seen in China as a blow to one of the last admirable American institutions.

As the US government continues its crackdown on Harvard University, allegations of links to China and Iran have led to a probe by a joint House committee. The premier university is being investigated by the House Select Committee on China as well as the House Committee on Education and Workforce for its alleged links to groups affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and research groups being aided by Iran.

The Chinese government said Friday that the Trump administration’s move to ban international students from Harvard would harm America’s international standing, as anxious students and parents overseas fretted over what would come next.

House Republicans issued a new set of demands to Harvard, saying an investigation is being launched into the school’s ties to China.

Chinese students at Harvard were cancelling flights home on Friday and seeking legal advice on staying in the United States after President Donald Trump's administration blocked the famed university from enrolling foreign students.

The number of American students studying in China has also dropped sharply, falling from about 11,000 in 2019 to around 800 in 2024, according to the State Department and other reports. The latest efforts by the administration to restrict visas for Chinese students has shifted the mood on university campuses, too.