ISTANBUL

The Trump administration will “damage its own image” and “international credibility” by blocking the Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, China said on Friday, state media reported.

The Trump administration Thursday halted Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Trump administration was holding Harvard accountable for "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus."

“China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars abroad,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

Mao said the educational cooperation between China and the US was “mutually beneficial and should not be politicized.”

Harvard University spokesman Jason Newton called the government's action "unlawful."

"We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably," Newton said in a statement.

US Health and Human Services said Monday it was terminating $60 million in federal grants to Harvard.

The Trump administration has already frozen more than $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard and $60 million in contracts.