China’s US embassy cautions students after ‘interrogating, harassing’ treatment at Washington airport

China has lodged a formal protest against the United States for allegedly blocking Chinese students at the border, and issued a caution over travelling through a key American airport.

Beijing’s embassy in Washington accused US authorities of “unwarrantedly” interrogating, harassing, cancelling the visas of and even deporting several students from China with valid travel permits upon their arrival at Dulles International Airport near the US capital.

In a statement on Monday, the embassy said the students had been returning to the US after holidays in China, trips to a third country or travelling there for their first year of university but were subjected to lengthy questioning and scrutiny of their electronic devices upon arrival.

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Some students were detained for more than 10 hours and not allowed to contact anyone during that time, according to the embassy.

“The practices of US border enforcement officials have seriously impacted the Chinese students’ academic pursuits and caused great psychological harm,” the Chinese embassy said, adding that they had made “solemn representations” to Washington.

The complaint came as the two powers have been taking steps to stabilise the relationship, with calls for restoring people-to-people exchanges as a key part.

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During the meeting between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top China diplomat Wang Yi in Bangkok, Thailand last week, the two sides agreed to “take further measures to expand people-to-people exchanges between the two countries”, according to a Chinese statement on Saturday.

That built on an agreement between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at their summit in San Francisco in November, when they agreed to encourage the expansion of educational, student, youth, cultural, sports and business exchanges.

But on Monday, Beijing’s embassy accused the US of violating the consensus reached between the two leaders and significantly undermining the rights of Chinese citizens with groundless interrogation and deportations.

“We strongly urge the US side to stop erroneous actions … and to earnestly implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of both countries,” the embassy said.

It also warned prospective students from China to “be cautious” before choosing to enter the US through Dulles International Airport.

The airport, which is located in the state of Virginia and about 42km (26 miles) west of downtown Washington, has been carrying direct flights between the US capital and Beijing since 2014.

Flights linking the two capitals resumed on November 21 after being suspended for about three years due to the pandemic.

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The embassy also advised Chinese students to record the information of the US customs officers they interacted with, request copies of any documents they were asked to sign, and preserve evidence in cases of unfair treatment, for use in subsequent complaints against US customs or to pursue legal measures.

Earlier this month, China’s foreign ministry accused the US of mistreating “tens” of Chinese nationals with valid travel documents and visas at the American border.

Ministry’s spokesman Wang Wenbin also urged Washington to cancel a “mistaken” executive order that prevented postgraduate students and researchers allegedly linked to the Chinese military from entering the US.

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The order – Presidential Proclamation 10043 – was introduced on national security grounds during the Donald Trump presidency in 2020. It took effect on June 1 of that year and remains in force.

China has also faced complaints from foreign nationals about prolonged visa and entry difficulties, limited flight availability and a more uncertain security climate even after the country lifted three years of strict pandemic border controls in early 2023.

As part of an effort to boost China’s sagging economy, Beijing has been stepping up policy moves to encourage overseas visitors, including signing visa-free agreements with some countries.

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In an address to US business leaders in California in November, Xi said Beijing was ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchanges and studies in the next five years.

Some academic exchanges have taken place. A delegation of about 30 young scholars from Harvard Kennedy School travelled to several cities in China this month and met officials from China’s foreign ministry and representatives of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the country’s leading state-backed think tank.

South China Morning Post