China criticized the United States on Wednesday for temporarily halting interviews for new student visas after Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly issued the directive this week.
On Tuesday, Rubio ordered U.S. embassies to pause scheduling new student visa interviews as the Trump administration considers whether to expand social media vetting for international students seeking to study in the U.S. The order is likely to affect Beijing disproportionately, as China is second only to India in terms of the number of students it sends to U.S. universities.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning criticized the policy change during a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
China “upholds that normal education cooperation and academic exchanges should not be disrupted,” she said. “We urge the U.S. to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all international students, including Chinese students overseas.”
There were over 277,000 students from China enrolled in the U.S. last year, according to State Department data. Rubio’s directive does not affect applicants who already have scheduled visa interviews.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS ENHANCED SOCIAL MEDIA VETTING AS STUDENT VISA INTERVIEWS HALTED
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to provide more details on the policy change during a press briefing Tuesday.
“We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country. And we’re going to continue to do that,” she told reporters. “We’re going to continue to vet and continue to have an interest. And again, whether they be students or if you’re a tourist who needs a visa, or whoever you are, we’re going to be looking at you.”