China has issued a travel warning for the US, voicing concerns Chinese visitors have been subjected to harassment by law enforcement agencies in the US.
Chinese citizens have reportedly been “interrogated, interviewed and subjected to” forms of harassment by US law enforcement, according to a warning issued by the Chinese foreign ministry and Chinese Embassy.
The South China Morning Post reported Tuesday that Chinese tourists had been told to “respond ‘actively and appropriately’ in light of US law enforcement agencies” allegedly subjecting travellers to forms of harassment.
This comes after Chinese citizens were warned on Monday to be vigilant of tightened visa restrictions for students from the country in the US.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also released a separate travel advisory that reportedly urges visitors to the US from China to “pay attention to safety” when visiting the country.
The ministry cites “frequent shootings, robberies and theft” as causes for concern.
Both alerts are reportedly valid until the end of the year.
“Chinese tourists in the US should fully assess the risks of travelling to the US, keeping up to date with information about public security, laws and regulations, and conscientiously improve awareness to ensure safety,” the ministry’s advisory said, as reported by South China Morning Post.
The two warnings issued by Beijing come amid an ongoing and increasingly bitter trade dispute between China and the US.
The National Travel and Tourism Office, which collects data from US Customs forms, reported that travel from China to the US fell 5.7 per cent in 2018 to 2.9 million visitors, after more than a decade of rapid growth – leaving businesses and tourist attractions in murky waters.
Reports of China’s travel alert for the US and tightened visa restrictions for foreign students follows the news that customs authorities in America will force visitors to disclose their social media account details on visa applications.
