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3w ago

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

The confidential directive, introduced in January 2025, aims to address espionage risks and reflects intensifying U.S.-China tensions.

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 policy prohibits romantic or sexual relationships between U.S. government personnel, family members, and contractors in China and Chinese citizens.
  • Introduced by outgoing Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January 2025, the directive expands on a narrower policy enacted in summer 2024.
  • Violators face immediate expulsion from China, while personnel with pre-existing relationships may apply for exemptions, though denials mean ending the relationship or leaving their post.
  • This move reflects growing concerns over espionage, particularly the alleged use of 'honeypot' tactics by Chinese intelligence to extract sensitive information.
  • The policy underscores escalating U.S.-China tensions over geopolitical influence, trade, and technology, while mirroring similar restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on their personnel.