Washington should stop politicizing or interrupting Sino-US people-to-people exchanges, as such exchanges form the basis of promoting bilateral cooperation in various areas and conform to the aspirations of both countries' peoples, Beijing said on Monday.

"For some time, some departments and institutions in the US have been imposing totally groundless restrictions and hindrances on normal China-US people-to-people exchanges, resorting to any means," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

Such moves have caused widespread concern within academia and in other communities in the two countries, Lu said.

His remarks came after Peter Salovey, president of Yale University, issued a statement on Thursday, affirming Yale's "steadfast commitment" to its international students and scholars.

"In recent weeks, tensions in United States-China relations and increased scrutiny of academic exchanges have added to a sense of unease among many international students and scholars here at Yale and at universities across the country," Salovey said.

International students and scholars are welcome and respected on Yale's campus, and openness "must remain a hallmark of Yale", he added.

US lawmakers introduced a bill earlier this month intended to prohibit the issuance of student or research visas to people employed or sponsored by the Chinese military.

In a meeting with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires late last year, US President Donald Trump said the US welcomes Chinese students to study there, Lu said, describing recent US moves as "regrettable".

"We hope some people in the US government will return to reason, respect public opinion and do more to help enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries," Lu said.

Yale is among several US universities that have voiced support for international exchanges.

In his meeting with Xi in March, Lawrence Bacow, president of Harvard University, said maintaining and deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' education and cultural institutions are crucial to promoting US-China relations in the long run, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Harvard will continue to promote exchanges and cooperation with Chinese educational and scientific research institutions, Bacow said.