WASHINGTON, May 1 – Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng said that nearly 300 Chinese citizens in the United States have been subjected to unwarranted harassment and deportation over the past three years and that “McCarthyism” has interfered with normal U.S.-China exchanges.
The ambassador spoke on Saturday at the “Safe Journey in the U.S.” consular-protection event. The embassy released a brochure and animated video with that theme.
“In response to the U.S.’ selective, discriminatory and political enforcement of the law, we have emphasized with the U.S. side, argued with reason, and lodged solemn representations with the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council in the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and other departments.” Xie said.
The embassy has “made representations on every occasion, urging the U.S. side to remove the ‘stumbling blocks’ that impede humanistic exchanges as soon as possible”, said Xie.
Several hundred representatives of Chinese students, overseas Chinese and Chinese organizations in the U.S. participated in the event.
The embassy’s materials are geared toward helping Chinese people visiting or living in the U.S. to pay attention to details and to stay alert so they can travel safely.
Xie said that China’s relationship with the world has entered a period of deep integration, with the number of people entering and exiting the country increasing from more than 5.6 million before reform and opening-up to more than 420 million nowadays.
“The demand for consular protection has also entered a period of rapid growth. Last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies and consulates abroad handled more than 80,000 consular protection cases, with an average of one case every six minutes, and the 12308 hotline received more than 500,000 calls for help, with an average of one call every minute.”
“Being in a foreign country, we must always tighten the string of security and constantly improve security awareness and preventive capabilities,” he said.
Xie noted that the U.S. has put more than 1,500 Chinese companies on a sanctions, or entities list.
“The embassy has continued to urge the U.S. side to stop its economic, trade, scientific and technological suppression of China. And we demand that President Biden’s statement that he does not seek to suppress and curb China’s development be put into practice.”
