The sharp rebuke came on Thursday from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. Her remarks followed an announcement on Wednesday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that the US State Department would collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security to "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students," particularly those with ties to the Chinese government or pursuing studies in sensitive fields.
Speaking at a regular news conference, Mao Ning articulated China's disapproval: "The move by the US, under the pretext of ideology and national security, to unreasonably cancel the visas of Chinese students seriously infringes upon their legitimate rights and interests, and disrupts normal people-to-people exchanges between the two countries."
Mao confirmed that Beijing has lodged "solemn representations" with Washington regarding the matter. She further emphasized that such "politically motivated and discriminatory practice exposes the hypocrisy behind the US’ long-touted claims of freedom and openness."