The State Department issued a statement advising U.S. citizens not to travel to China because of the risks of unfair detention and exit bans by the communist regime.
The U.S. government reported that the Asian country is classified as “level 3,” the second highest of the four levels of travel advisories issued by the department responsible for foreign policy.
“The People’s Republic of China (PRC) government arbitrarily enforces local laws, including issuing exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law,” the department reported.
Due to these reasons, citizens are advised to reconsider any travel plans to China, and Americans residing there were alerted. “U.S. citizens traveling or residing in the PRC may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime,” the statement said.
Americans should reconsider travel to China due to the risk of wrongful detention, the US State Department warned in an updated travel advisory https://t.co/PiVwZAvE9g
— CNN (@CNN) July 3, 2023
According to the U.S. government, China is using exit restrictions to force individuals to participate in regime investigations and even as leverage to resolve civil disputes and negotiations with foreign governments.
“PRC authorities appear to have broad discretion to deem a wide range of documents, data, statistics, or materials as state secrets and to detain and prosecute foreign nationals for alleged espionage,” they added.
China sentences American to life imprisonment
The State Department alert came after a 78-year-old U.S. citizen identified as John Shing-Wan Leung was sentenced to life imprisonment on espionage charges without providing any further details.
Laws against foreigners
The regime also recently passed a Foreign Affairs law that threatens to take strict measures against foreigners who harm China’s interests.
