Overview

• The State Department said the Foreign Service officer admitted hiding a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known Chinese Communist Party ties.
• President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reviewed the case before the termination was approved, according to a department spokesman.
• The department described the action as part of a zero‑tolerance posture toward conduct viewed as undermining national security.
• The officer and his partner appeared in a covertly filmed video posted by James O’Keefe, in which the officer voiced concern she could be a spy and noted her father’s CCP role.
• The policy barring U.S. government personnel in China—along with family members and certain contractors—from romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens was expanded in early 2025.