China has banned a United States citizen working for the U.S. Department of Commerce from leaving the country for several months. This episode coincides with Beijing's and Washington's attempts to organize a leaders' summit to resolve their trade differences, writes UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
A Chinese-American working at the Patent and Trademark Office traveled to meet relatives, the Washington Post reported, citing four people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity.
The US sent a very high-level message to Beijing asking to allow the man to leave, the newspaper added, citing one person. She said she did not know the name of the man facing the so-called exit ban, which was imposed due to an apparent failure to state in his visa application that he worked for the US government.
Officials from Beijing and Washington, including at the Department of Commerce, are negotiating a trade deal after President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on goods from China, which he later suspended. Trump also wants to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to resolve their issues, which include technology restrictions, rare earths, and Taiwan's status.
To secure a meeting and a trade deal, Trump recently softened his harsh rhetoric, which focused on the huge US trade deficit with China and the job losses it caused. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that there was "strong desire on both sides" for a meeting between Xi and Trump.
These cases collectively are significant and will have a negative impact on business travel by US representatives to China. Given that the Trump team is reportedly planning to bring a group of CEOs to a summit with Xi later this year, these reports could complicate those efforts or make American business executives less willing to participate,
The Commerce Department employee, a US Army veteran, was detained when he arrived in the southwestern city of Chengdu in April, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday, citing a person familiar with the situation.
He was banned from leaving China because his case was "related to actions Beijing deemed harmful to national security," the newspaper reported, although details could not be confirmed. Since arriving in Chengdu, the man has also traveled to the Chinese capital with a US official, the newspaper reported.
The Patent and Trademark Office, where the man works, handles US patents and registers trademarks. Its website states that its "mission is to promote US innovation and global competitiveness."
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Beijing said that its "highest priority is the safety of US citizens abroad." The source added that "we are closely monitoring these cases and have expressed our concerns to the Chinese authorities about the impact of these arbitrary exit bans on our bilateral relations, and have urged them to immediately allow affected US citizens to return home."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday that he had no information about the Commerce Department employee.
China is a country that adheres to the rule of law. We handle relevant cases in strict accordance with the law
Addition
US President Donald Trump may meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC event in South Korea. This comes amid attempts by Washington and Beijing to agree on an end to the tariff war.