US called on to protect interests of intl students

Beijing has urged Washington to protect the interests of international students amid reports that the United States government has halted the scheduling of new interviews for student visa applicants.

"China believes that education cooperation and academic exchanges should not be disrupted," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

Mao made the remark after foreign media reported that the US government is considering requiring all foreign students applying to study in the US to undergo social media vetting, and in preparation for the vetting, is ordering US embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for such visa applicants.

The spokeswoman said that China is following the current development, which comes days after the US government revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. The revocation has been temporarily blocked by a court restraining order.

"We urge the US to protect the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of all international students, including those from China," Mao added.

In an interview with China Media Group on Wednesday, a staff member of the US embassy in Beijing said the embassy has not received relevant information, and visa applications and interviews are proceeding as usual.

A 20-year-old Chinese student, who is majoring in computer science at a US university, said the reported measure will not affect his studies in the US, because he already has a long-term student visa.

However, those currently applying for majors at US universities may feel anxious about the move, he said, adding that the US is not as welcoming for international students as it used to be.

According to a report released on Friday by New Oriental Education and Technology Group, an education company in China, the US has been the second most popular country for Chinese students who intend to study abroad for six years in a row.

However, the US government has stepped up its crackdown on international students this year, including by abruptly terminating their legal status.

Li Luoze contributed to this story.