Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday slammed the US for creating obstacles for cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the US over reports revealing Chinese students and scholars being arbitrarily revoked visas and forcibly deported without concrete evidence.

The US keeps overstretching the concept of national security, arbitrarily revoking visas, restricting entry, and forcibly deporting Chinese students without concrete evidence, causing great harm to the individuals involved and creating obstacles for cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the US, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry said at Monday's regular press briefing. 

At US airports, especially Washington Dulles International Airport, cases of Chinese students being deported have begun to rise again, according to media reports. 

In March, the Washington Post interviewed six Chinese students and two visiting scholars who had been questioned upon landing the US. Visas for a pair were cancelled and they were immediately deported. 

Previously in January, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng had revealed that dozens of Chinese arriving in the US, including students, were being denied entry every month over the past few months. They held valid visas, had no criminal records, and were returning to school after travelling elsewhere or reuniting with their family in China. But when they landed at the airport, what awaited them was 8-hour-long interrogation by officers, who prohibited them from contacting their parents, made groundless accusations against them, and even forcibly deported them and banned their entry. 

Mao said that recent cases have shown that US law enforcement officials are deporting individuals solely for the purpose of deporting, demonstrating typical political discrimination and selective law enforcement.

Mao urged the US to immediately cease unwarranted harassment and deportation of Chinese citizens, stop suppressing and persecuting Chinese students. 

The US should take practical actions to fulfill its commitments to support and facilitate cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the US, rather than saying one thing and doing another, Mao said. 

The spokesperson also stressed that China will take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.

Global Times