China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 29 warned citizens of challenging travel conditions to the US due to a spike in cases where Chinese students and company employees were subjected to “unwarranted interrogations and harassment” by US airport law enforcement officers.
China’s travel advisory for citizens entering the US urges safety precautions and preparation for “various unexpected situations”, detailed a South China Morning Post news report.
The ministry and the Chinese embassy and consulates in the US have lodged a solemn representation to the US.
Since November 2023, at least eight Chinese students with valid documents have been searched, interrogated or sent back from Washington Dulles International Airport alone, according to a tally by Chinese media.
A biological sciences PhD candidate has also claimed to have been subjected to a body search, eight hours in an interrogation room, and 12 hours in solitary confinement before being deported by officials at Dulles airport in December last year. She was due to return to the US to continue her studies.
These incidents appear to be a setback in the pledge by both countries to facilitate educational and other exchanges in recent months. In November, while on a visit to the US, Chinese president Xi Jinping said China would invite 50,000 young Americans to study in the next five years.