The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged the United States to stop using so-called national security as an excuse to suppress and restrict Chinese students and effectively protect the security, legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars in the U.S.

According to reports, Chinese students were interrogated when entering the U.S. through Washington Dulles International Airport. U.S. authorities asked them about their political background and scientific research status and required them to provide internal information about the Chinese government in exchange for their release, canceling their visas and deporting them after the request was denied.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the U.S. has frequently harassed, interrogated and deported Chinese students for political purposes for some time. At Washington Dulles Airport alone, at least eight Chinese students holding legal and valid documents have been deported by the U.S. after unwarranted harassment and interrogation since the end of November 2023.

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"Such acts have seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and interfered with bilateral cultural personnel exchanges," Wang said, adding that China has lodged stern representations with the U.S. over the issue.

He said the U.S. politicizes and weaponizes academic research and suppresses Chinese students in the name of national security, creating a "chilling effect" and poisoning the atmosphere of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

In recent cases, U.S. law enforcement officials directly threatened China's national security, which carries strong ideological bias and has no bottom line, he noted.

"We urge the U.S. side to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the San Francisco meeting and eliminate obstacles for cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the U.S.," said Wang, adding that China will take resolute measures to safeguard national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese people.

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(Cover: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)