Rather than an isolated incident, the investigation is part of Washington"s broader and growing scrutiny of university ties with China, as topics such as academic collaboration, student visas and foreign donations are increasingly viewed through the lens of national security and strategic competition, Sun Chenghao, a research fellow at Tsinghua University"s Center for International Security and Strategy, told the Global Times.

　　Although the Justice Department has not reached any conclusions or identified specific programs targeted by the probe into China-linked financial aid programs, the move reflects a broader trend of politicizing and over-stretching security concept in education in the US, Sun said.

　　The AP report also said the latest investigation into Harvard "adds to the barrage of federal inquiries the Trump administration has opened in its battle against the Ivy League school."

　　Meanwhile, The Harvard Crimson reported that the investigation opens "a new playing field" in the Trump administration"s yearlong pressure campaign. It also noted that Harvard"s ties to China have been "a frequent target" of the administration and its allies in Congress.

　　Sun noted that in the short term, such investigations will undoubtedly raise compliance costs for US universities engaging with China, deepen concerns among Chinese students and scholars, and erode confidence in normal educational exchanges. With Washington"s probes into China-related research, visa policies and foreign funding on the rise, this policy climate risks creating a chilling effect, exposing even routine academic collaboration to greater political risk.

　　A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told media that China-US education cooperation is mutually beneficial. China maintains that normal education and academic exchange should not be disrupted for political purposes.