A travel alert for Chinese tourists going to the United States has been issued by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Chinese embassy in the US. This comes as mass shootings, robberies and theft incidents occur more frequently in the country. Experts say such a warning is the result of the United States' continued interference with the legitimate interests of Chinese citizens and businesses. CGTN's Zou Yun has the story.

The latest move from China in response to the United States' recent harassment of Chinese tourists and measures against Chines companies. At a news conference on Tuesday, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism suggested Chinese tourists assess the risks before traveling to the US, and gather destination-related information about the areas they are traveling to, such as security, laws and regulations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy in the United States reminded Chinese citizens traveling to the US and Chinese companies in the US to heighten their awareness. Experts say that such a warning is the result of the US' continued harassment and interference on Chinese citizens and businesses.

SU XIAOHUI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR DEPT. OF INTL. AND STRATEGIC STUDIES CHINA INSTITUTE OF INTL. STUDIES "A major factor is some of the US' incorrect moves and policies. We have noticed the US has intervened in some important China-US cultural exchange institutions, such as the Confucius Institute. The US is also taking a negative attitude towards China-US people-to-people exchanges. From Chinese scholars to companies, many have received unreasonable interference. Under this context, China has to respond. Because in the Chinese perspective, the key for people-to-people exchanges is mutual respect."

The US used to be one of Chinese travelers' top destinations, but the trend has started to reverse since trade tensions broke out between the two countries. In 2018, travel from China to the US fell nearly 6 percent to around 3 million visitors--- the first drop ever in the past 15 years. However, Chinese tourists remained the biggest spenders of all international travelers, spending 36.4 billion US dollars last year. Chinese visitors' average spending is also more than that of any other major inbound market.

The US also represents roughly 20 percent of China's total deficit in the services trade. This is the biggest source of this deficit, which is concentrated in three areas: travel, transport, and intellectual property royalties.

Experts say that given summer is the high season for Chinese tourists going to the United States, the latest warning will undoubtedly take a hit on the US tourism industry, and also dampen Chinese visitors' interest in traveling and shopping in the United States.

ZOU YUN BEIJING "Earlier this week, the Chinese Ministry of Education has warned students and scholars who plan to study in the United States to be fully aware of and prepared for the possible risks. And experts say that if the US wants to continue people-to-people and cultural exchanges with China, the key is mutual respect. ZY, CGTN, BJ."