Hong Kong has said it will open its universities to more international students, highlighting those affected by the US government鈥檚 move this week to block Harvard from enrolling foreign nationals.
The sharp escalation in US president Donald Trump鈥檚 longstanding feud with the prestigious university came as tensions simmer between Washington and Beijing over trade and other issues.
The Trump administration鈥檚 decision on Thursday鈥攚hich was temporarily halted by a US judge after Harvard sued鈥攈as thrown the future of thousands of foreign students and the lucrative income stream they provide into doubt.
On Friday, Hong Kong education secretary Christine Choi called on universities in the Chinese city to welcome 鈥榦utstanding students from all over the world鈥�.
鈥楩or international students affected by the United States鈥� student admission policy, the education bureau has appealed to all universities in Hong Kong to provide facilitation measures for eligible students,鈥� Choi said in a statement, noting the ban on Harvard鈥檚 admission of international students.
She said local universities were making use of government measures, including relaxing the maximum limits on foreign students to attract more to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on Friday invited international students enrolled at Harvard, as well as anyone with offers to attend the elite school, to continue their studies at HKUST.
鈥楬KUST is extending this opportunity to ensure talented students can pursue their educational goals without disruption,鈥� it said in a statement.
The university 鈥榳ill provide unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition for interested students鈥�, it added.
Harvard is ranked number one in US News and World Report鈥檚 most recent list of the world鈥檚 top universities, while HKUST is 105 out of more than 2,000 ranked.
President Trump is furious at Harvard for rejecting his administration鈥檚 push for oversight on admissions and hiring amid his claims the school is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and 鈥榳oke鈥� liberal ideology.
A US judge on Friday halted the administration鈥檚 move to prevent Harvard from admitting foreign students after the university sued, calling the government鈥檚 action unlawful.
US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that the administration鈥檚 decision would hold Harvard 鈥榓ccountable for fostering violence, anti-Semitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus鈥�.
Beijing condemned the 鈥榩oliticisation of educational cooperation鈥�, adding that the move by Washington would 鈥榦nly harm the image and international standing of the United States鈥�.
Around 1,300 Chinese students are enrolled at Harvard, around a fifth of its international student body, according to university data.
Hundreds of thousands more attend other US colleges and universities, long viewed by many in China as beacons of academic freedom and rigour.
