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WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States would welcome 600,000 students from China to study at American colleges, a declaration that could offer some relief to universities even as it portends a thaw in U.S.-China tensions that have grown more severe over recent months.

Trump, who spoke from the White House on Monday, also made clear that he would not be letting up on his broader pressure campaign against Beijing: He confirmed that he was still considering imposing fresh tariffs against Chinese-made magnets, even as he said that the United States and China needed to “get along. “It’s a much better relationship economically than it was before with Biden. But he allowed that. They just took him to the cleaners.”

His comments also reflected a shift in his hardline stance toward education and visa policies. Trump appeared to signal that he was keeping some options open despite the latest back-and-forth on tariffs and the broader fight over Beijing’s industrial dominance.

“We’re going to allow their students to come in,” Trump said of China. “It’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important. But we’re going to get along with China.”

Trump made the comments as the United States and China have ramped up a fight over tariffs and other trade measures in recent weeks. Trump’s administration last month imposed a tariff on all Chinese-made goods of 145 percent, to which Beijing responded with a 125 percent levy on U.S. exports. Both sides have since signaled that they are considering additional economic penalties as well.

Negotiators in Geneva announced an agreement in May to suspend further tariffs, though Trump has since proposed new ones on at least three occasions. Last week, he mentioned a 200 percent levy on Chinese-made magnets, where he said that China has a “total monopoly” on world supply.

“China, intelligently, went and they sort of took a monopoly on the world’s magnets,” Trump said. “It’ll probably take us a year to have them.”

The president’s move to allow more Chinese students to study in the U.S. would come after earlier indications from his own administration that students were facing increasing pressure. Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in May that the U.S. would be “aggressively revoking” visas from Chinese nationals who work in government-run research institutions or are members of the Chinese Communist Party. Higher education groups were alarmed at the potential for student visas to be affected by the policy, which has yet to be implemented.

Trump appeared to be backing away from that rhetoric in June when he told reporters he “has always been in favor” of admitting Chinese students to U.S. universities, but Monday’s comments provide the clearest indication yet of his intentions. Universities will likely be among the main beneficiaries: Trump’s figure of 600,000 would more than double the 270,000 Chinese students already attending college in the United States. International students, Chinese in particular, have long been a critical source of tuition revenue for American schools.

Trump spoke just ahead of a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and, when asked if he would consider a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he struck an optimistic tone.

“I would like to meet him this year,” Trump said. “But we’re taking a lot of money in from China because of the tariffs and the different things. It’s a very important relationship.”

“It’s a much better relationship economically than it was before with Biden. But he allowed that. They just took him to the cleaners.”

His comments also reflected a shift in his hardline stance toward education and visa policies. Trump appeared to signal that he was keeping some options open despite the latest back-and-forth on tariffs and the broader fight over Beijing’s industrial dominance.