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3w ago

U.S. Enforces Strict Ban on Relationships Between Personnel and Chinese Citizens in China

The confidential directive, issued in January 2025, reflects heightened espionage concerns and revives Cold War-era security measures.

In this picture taken on December 10, 2021, a man visits the US embassy in Beijing. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP) (Photo by JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images)
FILE - Uniformed and plainclothes security officers stand guard outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
People walk by workers dressed in Qing Dynasty costumes, one of them holding a fan to attract customers outside a merchandise shop, in Beijing.

Overview

  • The U.S. government has banned romantic and sexual relationships between its personnel in China and Chinese citizens, applying to diplomats, family members, and contractors with security clearances.
  • The policy, introduced by outgoing Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January 2025, expands on a previous limited directive from summer 2024 that targeted relationships with Chinese support staff.
  • Personnel with pre-existing relationships must apply for exemptions; denied requests require ending the relationship or leaving their post.
  • Violators of the policy face immediate expulsion from China, underscoring the directive's strict enforcement mechanisms.
  • The policy reflects escalating U.S.-China tensions and concerns over espionage tactics, including the alleged use of 'honeypot' schemes by Chinese intelligence.