Diplomatic Tension: US Imposes New Restrictions on Chinese Diplomats 

By Staff

In the latest escalation in tensions between the US and China, Washington has put new restrictions on Chinese diplomats, barring senior envoys from visiting universities or meeting local government officials without approval.

Announcing the latest measures, the state department said it was responding to “significant barriers” on its own diplomats based in China.

“We’re simply demanding reciprocity,” US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told a news briefing. “Access for our diplomats in China should be reflective of the access that Chinese diplomats in the United States have, and today’s steps will move us substantially in that direction,” he said.

China’s Washington embassy called the move “yet another unjustified restriction and barrier on Chinese diplomatic and consular personnel” that “runs counter to the self-proclaimed values of openness and freedom of the US side”.

The US-China relationship has been increasingly strained over a range of issues from Huawei and trade disputes, to coronavirus, China’s crackdown in Hong Kong and human rights violations in Xinjiang.

In addition to controls on university visits and meetings with officials, US authorities will have to give approval for all cultural events with an audience of more than 50 people hosted by Chinese diplomats outside their own embassies and consulates.