China urges US to stop the 'harassment' and deportation of nationals
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China calls on the United States to stop the deportation, harassment, and interrogation strategies it has been employing against Chinese nationals "unjustifiably".
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US President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, on November 15, 2021. (AP)
China urged the United States to stop "harassing" and deporting Chinese citizens from the US under the excuse of national security, which erodes the foundation of US-Chinese relations.
In a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, the spokesperson said, "In recent years, US border control personnel have continuously and unjustifiably harassed, interrogated, and deported Chinese nationals entering the US."
China also added that the US actions against Chinese nationals create rifts in the friendship between the Chinese and American people.
"Such acts by the US side far exceeded the scope of normal law enforcement and are driven by strong ideological bias," the statement read.
Chinese officials, who had been invited for official talks and visits to the United States were also reportedly heavily interrogated and harassed at security checks.
Since 2021, over 300 Chinese nationals have been unjustifiably deported from the US, including over 70 students. Since November 2023, at least 10 cases of harassment and interrogation have been recorded among Chinese citizens at Washington Dulles Airport.
The recurrence prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to raise the issue with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, and establish "steps to expand people-to-people exchanges between the two countries".
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China urges US to stop 'harassing' Chinese students
China's Public Security Minister urged the US Homeland Security Secretary to stop the "harassment" of Chinese students entering the United States in a meeting between the two in Vienna, Beijing's state media reported in February.
In a readout of talks between Wang Xiaohong and Alejandro Mayorkas, Beijing urged Washington "to stop harassing and checking Chinese students for no apparent reason," state news agency Xinhua said.
Beijing has repeatedly mentioned that Chinese nationals with valid travel documents have been subject to aggressive interrogations and deportations at US airports, with its embassy in Washington in January urging Chinese travelers to avoid the capital's Dulles airport.
In his meeting with Mayorkas, Wang urged the United States to "ensure that Chinese citizens enjoy fair entry treatment and full dignity," according to Xinhua.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the US during talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich to "stop unwarranted harassment and interrogation of Chinese citizens and to promote activities that enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples."
This came after US airport security detained a Chinese scholar for 22 hours. In another instance, US security conducted three security checks against another Chinese student, and a 10-hour investigation, badgering him about the Chinese Communist Party.
