File Photo: Xinhua

US President Donald Trump’s threat to slap sanction on Chinese students in the US is brazen political persecution and racist, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson who wondered if McCarthyism is making a comeback in the US. 

People-to-people exchanges between China and the US are often criticized by the US, which runs counter to the supposed openness and liberalism preached by the US, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry said.  

Zhao’s remarks were made after US media reported Thursday the White House plans to cancel visas for thousands of Chinese graduate students affiliated with Chinese universities with ties to the People’s Liberation Army.

Zhao pointed out that the plan exposes the deep-rooted “Cold War” and zero-sum mentality that permeates the thinking of some Americans. “It makes people wonder, if the notorious era of McCarthyism is making a comeback in the US?” said Zhao, who warned the US government not to violate the legal rights of Chinese students in the US, which would be brazen political persecution and racist. 

Zhao said US leaders have said they will protect Chinese nationals, including students in the US, and asserted that those students are of vital importance to the US education system. “The remarks linger, but the US seems to want to go back on its promises.”

He urged the US to stick to past promises and stop restricting and cracking down Chinese students, using various baseless excuses. 

Global Times