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Yurong Luanna Jiang, a Chinese graduate of Harvard University, has ignited intense online debate after delivering the Graduate English Address at the institution’s 374th Commencement on 29 May. Her call for unity in a fractured world was both celebrated and scrutinised—by audiences in both China and the United States.
“We don’t rise by proving each other wrong. We rise by refusing to let one another go,” Jiang said, speaking to a crowd just days after the US government announced it would aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students. Coincidentally, her speech came on the same day a federal judge blocked efforts to ban foreign students at Harvard—efforts that had previously linked the university to alleged coordination with the Chinese Communist Party.
Jiang, who studied international development and was the first Chinese woman to speak at a Harvard graduation, focused on shared understanding. She praised the diversity of Harvard’s classrooms and the lessons learned by engaging with global perspectives. “If we still believe in a shared future, let us not forget: those we label as enemies – they, too, are human. In seeing their humanity, we find our own,” she said.
Her message quickly went viral on Chinese platforms like Weibo and Red Note. Many users said they were moved to tears, with one writing, “She is able to stand on an international stage and speak the heart of Chinese students.” Another said, “You may not have changed them, but they’ve heard you.”
Yet not all reactions were positive. Some Chinese users dismissed Jiang as unrepresentative of ordinary students, pointing to her elite education, which included time at Cardiff Sixth Form College in Wales and Duke University in the US. Skeptics on Chinese platforms speculated that her background and scholarships were linked to organisations supported by American companies and foundations.
Meanwhile, conservative voices in the US took aim at her alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The X account @amuse, known for pro-Trump content, accused Jiang of being associated with a “CCP-funded” NGO, also alleging that her father works for a group that serves as a quasi-diplomatic agent for the party. These claims remain unverified.
With more than 6,800 international students enrolled at Harvard—about a third of them from China—Jiang’s speech stands at the intersection of global education, geopolitics, and public sentiment. Whether viewed as a heartfelt appeal or a lightning rod, her message has clearly resonated.
