China Protests US Plan to Revoke Visas of Chinese Students, Slams Move as ‘Discriminatory’

China has lodged a formal protest against the United States following a declaration by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the US would “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students enrolled at American universities.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning condemned the announcement, accusing the Trump administration of using national security and ideological concerns as pretexts for what she called an “unreasonable” and “politically motivated” decision.

“This move seriously harms the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and disrupts normal cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries,” Mao said. “It also exposes the falsehood behind the so-called freedom and openness that the US claims to uphold, and further tarnishes its global image and credibility.”

Rubio’s statement had emphasized increased scrutiny on students from China and Hong Kong — regions that contribute significantly to the revenue of US universities. The decision came shortly after China criticized the State Department for temporarily suspending global student visa appointments and just a week after the Trump administration attempted to cancel visa permissions for all international students at Harvard University.

The move has drawn backlash from education advocates and international observers, who fear it may escalate tensions between Washington and Beijing and damage longstanding academic ties.