China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars in the United States, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.
Mao made the statement in response to a media query on the U.S. Donald Trump administration's decision to block Harvard University from enrolling foreign students on Thursday.
In addition to barring enrollment of future international students, "existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status," according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security which announced the decision.
