ISTANBUL

Beijing on Monday urged the US to halt targeting Chinese students and scholars.

Beijing's reaction came amid deepening US scrutiny of Chinese citizens studying or working in the world's largest economy.

"For quite some time, the US has overstated the concept of national security to frequently harass and interrogate Chinese students and the researchers in the US," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing.

These detentions “end up tarnishing the US’ own image and reputation in the world,” he added.