China slams US plan to revoke student visas as ideological discrimination

China has strongly criticised Washington’s decision to revoke visas held by Chinese students, accusing the United States of ideological discrimination and political manipulation under the guise of national security.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on May 29, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the US move had seriously infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and disrupted normal people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, Caliber.Az reports per Chinese media.

“China firmly opposes this unjustified revocation of visas,” Mao said, adding that Beijing has lodged formal representations with Washington over the issue.

Mao argued that the US action revealed the hypocrisy behind its professed values of freedom and openness. “This discriminatory move will only further undermine the United States’ global reputation and credibility,” she said.

Her comments follow a statement issued on May 28 by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he announced that the State Department, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, would begin revoking visas for Chinese students and tighten scrutiny on future applications from China.

A leaked State Department cable, obtained by foreign media, instructs all US embassies and consular sections to pause the scheduling of any new student and exchange visitor visa appointments — covering F, M, and J visa categories — until further notice. The move is said to be part of a broader overhaul of visa vetting procedures, which includes implementing sweeping social media screening measures for all international applicants.

By Aghakazim Guliyev