ISTANBUL

China on Wednesday urged the US to safeguard the “legitimate rights” of all international students following a pause in visa processing by Washington, state media reported.

"China upholds that normal education cooperation and academic exchanges should not be disrupted,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said during a news conference in Beijing.

“We urge the US to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all international students, including Chinese students overseas," she added.

The Trump administration ordered US embassies to temporarily halt scheduling new student visa interviews while it considers expanding social media vetting for international students seeking to study in the US.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the directive Tuesday, instructing consular sections to stop scheduling new interviews for foreign student visa applications until further guidance is issued in the coming days.