China makes solemn representations to US over House committee report slandering educational exchanges: spokesperson

When commenting on a so-called report on "how US visa policies enable China's defense entities to tap US higher education" recently issued by a committee of the US House of Representatives, which spreads disinformation and proposes restrictions on normal exchange and cooperation in education between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on Thursday that there is nothing credible about the aforementioned committee, which keeps attacking and smearing China for its political agenda.

According to Guo, in response to the committee's irresponsible investigation, the Chinese side has protested to the US side. "Let me stress that exchange and cooperation in education between China and the US is mutually beneficial. It is in the interest of both sides, is what the two countries expect, and is conducive to interaction and understanding between the two peoples," stated Guo.

The spokesperson stated that some US politicians overstretch the concept of national security and interfere in and disrupt normal educational cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Their attempts find no support and will lead nowhere.

"We urge the US to act on President Trump's commitment to welcoming Chinese students to study in the country and stop harming relevant parties' interests and China-US ties. China will keep a close eye on what the US says and does and will do what is necessary to firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests," Guo said.

"This House committee report should be understood as a counter-current in the US perception of China. It runs contrary not only to the mainstream opinion within the US education sector but also to the stance of the current US administration," Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

A recent decision of the US government allows 600,000 Chinese students to study in the US over the next two years, The Politico reported on August 31.

Countless examples have proven that educational exchanges between China and the US are beneficial for enhancing mutual understanding between the two sides, and can also help boost the US education industry, Lü said.

"We do not wish to see such counter-current rhetoric [by the US House committee] translated into policy, and we hope that mainstream opinion in the US can remain clear-sighted and use its own means to overwhelm such distorted reports," Lü told the Global Times.