US imposes restrictions on Chinese diplomats

The US administration has ordered Chinese diplomats to inform the State Department before holding any meetings with federal and local American officials, describing the restrictions as a “reciprocal” move.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior US State Department official told reporters on Wednesday that Chinese diplomats in the United States now had to give advance notice of any meetings with state, local, and municipal officials, as well as visits to educational and research institutions.

The official said the measure came in response to restrictions American diplomats faced when trying to meet Chinese officials and academics.

“This action is a response to what the PRC (the People’s Republic of China) government does to limit the interaction our diplomats can have in China with Chinese stakeholders,” the State Department official said.

“Unfortunately in China, US diplomats do not have unfettered access to a range of folks that are important for us to do our job there. That includes local- and provincial-level officials, academic institutions, research institutes; we have to seek permission and such permission is often denied,” the official claimed.

In a statement posted on Twitter, China’s Embassy in Washington denied that Beijing was implementing similar restriction on US diplomats.

“So far, the Chinese side does not have similar requirements on American diplomats and consular officers in China,” it added. “As for reciprocity, the US has a far greater number of diplomatic personnel in China than China has in the US.”

For more than a year, Washington and Beijing have been engaged in a trade war over issues such as cyber security, regulations, intellectual property, subsidies, and tariffs.

The State Department official, however, said the new ruling was “not directly linked” to the trade war with China.

SS