China on Friday urged the U.S. government to stop using excuses to restrict and suppress Chinese students studying in the United States.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks as the U.S. administration reportedly plans to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese students.

Zhao told a press briefing that the U.S. leadership has said that the American people respect and love the Chinese people very much and that Chinese students are of great significance to the U.S. educational business.

In the field of the two countries' cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the U.S. side has committed a series of negative and wrong words and deeds, which completely go against its self-proclaimed values of "openness and freedom," the public opinion of the two peoples, and the trend of times in international talent exchanges, Zhao said.

This has gravely impacted the normal cultural and personnel exchanges between the two countries, jeopardized the social foundation for bilateral ties, and exposed the deep-rooted Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset of some American people, the spokesperson stressed.

"People cannot help but ask whether the notorious McCarthyism in American history is returning," Zhao said.

If the United States would take measures harming Chinese students' lawful rights and interests, it would be nothing but political persecution and racial discrimination, and severe violation of the Chinese students' human rights, Zhao said.

He urged the U.S. side to abide by the relevant commitments of its leadership and immediately stop using all sorts of excuses to wantonly restrict and repress Chinese students in the United States.

"We support Chinese students' efforts in safeguarding their lawful rights and interests in accordance with law," Zhao said.

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