China has lodged a formal protest with the United States following Washington’s decision to revoke the visas of several Chinese students, a move Beijing labeled as “unreasonable” and ideologically driven.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that “the United States has unreasonably canceled visas for Chinese students under the pretext of ideology and national security,” according to comments reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“China strongly opposes this and has submitted a formal protest to the U.S.,” Mao added.

The protest came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the visa cancellations, although no specific details were given regarding the number of affected students or the institutions involved.

Beijing views the decision as a further escalation in bilateral tensions, particularly in areas of educational and cultural exchange, which have been strained in recent years amid growing geopolitical friction.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized it will closely monitor the situation and called on the U.S. to reverse what it described as discriminatory actions against Chinese students. The ministry also urged Washington to uphold principles of openness and academic cooperation between nations.