BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China hopes relevant U.S. agencies can heed rational calls of U.S. scientific organizations and the international community, and stop wantonly restricting and harassing Chinese students and scholars in the United States, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying's remarks came after 60 U.S. scientific organizations in an open letter urged the U.S. government to stop suppressing foreign scientists and obstructing international scientific cooperation.

"This is not the first time that the U.S. science community has spoken out against such moves of the U.S. government," Hua said at a press briefing.

According to Hua, about 150 leading U.S. science researchers have recently signed a letter opposing moves of U.S. government and universities to sideline and suppress Chinese and Chinese-American scientists. Columbia University's President Lee Bollinger has also published a signed article questioning the surveillance of foreign-born students and scholars in the United States.

"This fully demonstrates that people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States are welcomed by the two peoples and good for both sides," she said.

Hua called on relevant U.S. agencies to stop imposing wanton restrictions on and harassing Chinese students and scholars in the United States, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and do more to facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two sides as well as international technological, cultural and educational exchanges.