For some time, the US has been abusing the concept of "national security," frequently harassing and interrogating, and even arresting and prosecuting Chinese students and researchers in the US on baseless charges, leading to increasingly severe misconduct. Recently, another Chinese scholar conducting research in the US was unreasonably detained by US law-enforcement agencies. During a routine press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed the news and urged the US to stop presumption of guilt and political manipulation, stop its politically driven and discriminatory law enforcement targeting Chinese students and scholars in the US, and deliver on the US leadership's commitment to welcome Chinese students to study in the US.

In recent years, the US' wanton targeting of Chinese research personnel has become common. These Chinese scholars are either detained by the US authorities at the airport during entry and exit or held for long periods of questioning in a "black room" by US customs. Not long ago, the US Department of Justice accused Chinese scholars studying at US universities of smuggling "plant pathogens" into the US.

Anyone with basic knowledge of biology and research experience can clearly recognize that accidentally carrying common samples does not involve any actual transfer of cutting-edge technologies or sensitive materials between the two countries; at most, it is merely a case of non-standardized research management procedures. However, the US side deliberately dramatizes this ordinary laboratory management issue as a "national security incident" to attract public attention, severely disrupting normal academic exchanges between China and the US, and intentionally creating a tense atmosphere between the two countries.

Such arbitrary tactics expose that certain US law-enforcement agencies are openly trampling on international law and the basic norms of international relations. Under the guise of "national security," they are engaging in blatant acts of bullying against citizens of other countries, laying bare the true nature of the US as a surveillance and police state.

The frequent overstretching of the concept of "national security" in academic circles and the malicious law enforcement reflect the anxiety and pathological mind-set of certain groups within the US facing China's rapid rise in the field of technological research and development. They vent their frustrations through a tough stance toward China, completely disregarding the overall stability of China-US relations and the world. From another perspective, similar incidents also highlight a serious disconnect between decision-making and execution within the US government. A country's international credibility is built on the effective functioning of its governance system. The current actions of the US have increasingly distanced it from being seen as a "responsible actor," forcing countries, including China, to carefully weigh their dealings with the US.

Educational cooperation and academic exchange are key links in China-US relations, carrying the important mission of enhancing understanding and mutual trust between the people of the two countries. As a global academic center, the US has long benefited from cultural exchanges, attracting top talent from around the world, including China. However, even with its rich academic resources, the US cannot afford to squander them through political manipulation and discriminatory law enforcement. Such behavior will inevitably weaken the US global academic and educational appeal, damage its reputation for the rule of law, and provide no benefit to its own development. Ultimately, it is a losing business that harms both itself and others. China-US relations need to return to the correct path of exchange and cooperation, abandon political interference, and rebuild trust to promote mutual progress in an open academic environment, benefiting both countries and the world.