China urges against discriminatory measures against its students in US

​​​​​​​By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China urged the US on Thursday against taking discriminatory measures against Chinese students in American universities.

“We urge the US to stop overstretching the concept of national security and to genuinely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and not impose discriminatory and restrictive measures against them,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference in Beijing. It came as a response to a US congressman requesting information on Chinese students, citing national security.

US House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar sent a letter Wednesday to six American universities requesting information on policies and practices regarding the enrollment of Chinese national students in advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs and questioning their involvement in federally-funded research, according to a statement from the committee.

“The Chinese Communist Party has established a well-documented, systematic pipeline to embed researchers in leading US institutions, providing them direct exposure to sensitive technologies with dual-use military applications,” said Moolenaar, according to the statement. America’s student visa system has become a “Trojan horse for Beijing,” it added.

Mao said Chinese students in the US make up one-fourth of total international students and “educational cooperation not only expands exchange opportunities for students from both countries and enhances mutual understanding between their peoples, but also contributes to the prosperity of the US economy and the advancement of science and technology, serving the interests of both sides.”​​​​​​​