Trump Drafts Deal to Trade Chinese Graduates for Rare Minerals in China Pact

President Donald Trump has promoted a draft trade agreement with China that includes an unusual exchange: white-collar Chinese graduates in return for access to rare-earth minerals used in high-tech manufacturing.

On June 11, Trump announced on TruthSocial that the deal was completed, pending final approval from himself and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He stated the agreement would involve China supplying rare-earth elements while the U.S. would admit Chinese students to its colleges and universities.

The proposed deal immediately drew criticism from advocates for American workers, who expressed concern that it would flood the U.S. job market with foreign graduates competing with American citizens.

Critics likened the plan to trade agreements like NAFTA and the WTO, which they argue harmed American workers.

Kevin Lynn, founder of U.S. TechWorkers, called the plan detrimental to U.S. graduates, per Breitbart News.

Similarly, H-1B visa critic Stephen Schutt warned of the displacement effects already felt by American professionals, claiming it undermines their wages and job opportunities.

Lynn called the proposal a “doomsday clock” for American professionals, warning that it turns U.S. citizens into economic assets to be traded.

He suggested the plan would worsen existing trends of job outsourcing and displacement.

Trump has previously taken a stance against the high volume of foreign students in U.S. institutions. In May, he proposed cutting the number of foreign students in half, arguing they were preventing Americans from gaining admission to elite schools.

More than 350,000 foreign graduates entered U.S. white-collar jobs in 2024, often occupying positions that might have gone to recent American graduates. This influx has raised alarms among those concerned about job competition and wage stagnation.

Defending the proposed deal during a Thursday press conference, Trump said he supports international students, particularly Chinese students, studying and working in the U.S. He described it as beneficial to universities and companies like Apple that want to retain top foreign talent.

Trump added that when foreign students are forced to return home, they sometimes start companies abroad, which might have been established in the U.S. if visa policies had been more flexible. He said he supports letting top graduates stay and contribute to American businesses.

Critics, however, argue this approach undermines American graduates’ career prospects. Lynn emphasized that the U.S. government’s failure to diversify rare mineral sources has given China leverage in negotiations involving immigration policy.

He warned that if foreign graduates take entry-level white-collar jobs, it displaces American students from essential early-career positions, limiting their long-term prospects. A former executive said the plan would devastate young Americans entering engineering and computer science fields.

Many Trump supporters, especially those he relies on for the 2026 midterms, have voiced strong opposition to the plan. Lynn noted that the negotiations are being handled by pro-business appointees, while the interests of American professionals are not represented.

Existing work programs like H-1B and Optional Practical Training already allow large numbers of foreign graduates into U.S. firms, particularly in tech and administrative roles. Critics say this has depressed wages and harmed American workers for decades.

While some of Trump’s advisors, including Stephen Miller and J.D. Vance, have acknowledged the harm of white-collar migration, Lynn said Trump remains unwilling to impose significant restrictions on legal immigration.

On Thursday, Trump acknowledged complaints from business owners, especially farmers and low-wage employers, about his crackdown on illegal immigration. He said he would issue new guidance soon.

That evening, Trump posted another message criticizing Democrats and pledging mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Lynn said the China deal might also set the stage for a similar arrangement with India.

India recently struck a deal with the U.K. to send more graduates there. Lynn warned that India may demand more U.S. jobs for its graduates in exchange for trade items like grain and fuel, potentially further undercutting American professionals.

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