China urges U.S. to stop harassing Chinese citizens under pretext of national security

The spokesperson of China's Embassy in the U.S. on Tuesday urged the U.S. to stop harassing Chinese citizens traveling to the U.S. 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. 

The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment on Chinese citizens being frequently harassed when entering or leaving the United States.

"The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. and relevant Consulate General have lodged representations with the U.S. State Department, National Security Council, the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. In response to what has happened, the Chinese side has been lodging representations on every singe incident toward the final resolution of the issue," the embassy said.

Noting that in recent years, U.S. border control personnel have continuously and unjustifiably harassed, interrogated, and deported Chinese nationals entering the U.S., especially students and scholars, the spokesperson said that nearly 300 Chinese citizens have been deported by the U.S. since July 2021, including more than 70 Chinese students with legal and valid materials. 

Since November 2023, at the Washington Dulles International Airport alone, there have been 10 cases of Chinese students being harassed, interrogated, and with their visas being canceled, deported, the spokesperson said.

In December 2023, a Chinese visiting scholar was harassed when entering Dulles International Airport, and U.S. border control personnel conducted three rounds and a 10-hour long interrogation in a "small black room", including asking whether the scholar was a member of the Communist Party of China and checking his mobile phone, computer and other portable electronic devices. At the end, the scholar's visa was canceled, and the person was permanently banned from entering the United States.

In February 2024, another Chinese visiting scholar was detained for 22 hours at San Francisco International Airport when entering the country. In a "small black room", four U.S. law enforcement officers took turns continuously interrogating this person on his political background, research field, purpose of visit to the United States, and funding, lasting 12 hours. Finally, the scholar had his visa canceled and was deported back to China and banned from entering the United States for five years.

"Similar incidents have emerged one after another, with increasing frequency recently. 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 spokesperson said.

Stressing that the two presidents had reiterated the need to take further steps to expand people-to-people exchanges between the two countries on April 2, the spokesperson said that "the acts gravely infringe on legitimate and lawful rights and interests of persons concerned, disturb normal cross-border travel between the two countries and run against the common understandings reached by the two countries on enhancing and facilitating cultural and people-to-people exchanges."

China is gravely concerned and firmly opposes such moves, and has made solemn démarches to the U.S., the spokesperson said. "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."

(Cover photo: The frontal exterior of the Chinese Embassy in the United States. /Xinhua)