China has urged the United States to cease what it describes as the unwarranted harassment of Chinese citizens traveling to and from the U.S., calling for an end to actions that undermine bilateral relations. On Tuesday, a spokesperson from China’s Embassy in the United States expressed grave concerns over the increasing number of incidents involving Chinese nationals being detained, interrogated, and deported by U.S. border authorities.
“The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. and relevant Consulates General have lodged representations with the U.S. State Department, National Security Council, the Department of Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Protection,” the spokesperson said. “We urge the U.S. side to stop harassing Chinese citizens under the pretext of national security, stop undermining the environment of public support for China-U.S. relations, and stop obstructing friendly interactions between the two peoples.”
According to the embassy, nearly 300 Chinese citizens have been deported by the U.S. since July 2021, including more than 70 students holding valid visas and documentation. The spokesperson highlighted that, since November 2023, there have been ten cases at Washington Dulles International Airport alone where Chinese students faced harassment, prolonged interrogation, visa cancellation, and deportation.
In one reported incident in December 2023, a Chinese visiting scholar was subjected to a ten-hour interrogation upon arrival at Dulles International Airport. U.S. border officials allegedly questioned the scholar about political affiliations, including membership in the Communist Party of China, and inspected personal electronic devices. The scholar’s visa was canceled, and they were permanently barred from entering the United States.
Another case in February 2024 involved a Chinese visiting scholar detained for 22 hours at San Francisco International Airport. The scholar underwent a 12-hour interrogation focusing on political background, research field, purpose of the visit, and funding sources. The scholar’s visa was canceled, and they were deported and banned from entering the U.S. for five years.
“Similar incidents have emerged one after another, with increasing frequency recently,” the spokesperson stated. “Even Chinese officials invited by the U.S. side for a friendly visit have been unjustifiably harassed and interrogated when entering or leaving the country.”
The embassy emphasized that these actions infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of the individuals concerned, disrupt normal cross-border travel, and contradict recent agreements between the two countries to enhance people-to-people exchanges. The spokesperson referred to a recent understanding between the two presidents to expand such exchanges.
“Putting the people first, the Chinese government firmly upholds the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and will not tolerate any illegal and unfair treatment of Chinese students,” the spokesperson affirmed.
China called on the United States to align its actions with the shared goal of fostering mutual understanding and to take concrete steps to ensure the fair treatment of Chinese nationals.
Reference(s):
China iterates call to U.S. to stop harassing Chinese citizens
cgtn.com
