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The US State Department amended its travel advise on Friday, advising Americans to think twice before visiting China due to the possibility of being wrongfully detained, according to CNN.
Although mainland China was also a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” destination in the prior alert, that designation was made because of the possibility of “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”
This March travel warning advised US citizens to “exercise increased caution” due to the possibility of being wrongfully detained.
The Chinese government “continues to engage in this practise,” according to a State Department spokesman, and as a result, “the Travel Advisory has been updated to advise US citizens to reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the risk of wrongful detention.”
The possibility of unjustified imprisonment of US citizens by the PRC government exists in the PRC, according to advisories from late June and early March.
The fresh warning comes at a time when American and Chinese relations are particularly tense.
In an effort to avert relations from worsening at a time of lingering mistrust, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing last month. Blinken stated that the US and China had made “progress” in reviving their relationship at a news conference following the visit, noting that both parties had agreed that the bilateral relationship between the two countries needed to be “stabilised.”
The top US diplomat claimed that he brought up the cases of the three Americans, Kai Li, Mark Swidan, and David Lin, who are believed to be being held illegally in China. He also mentioned that there are now ongoing negotiations to try and obtain their release.
In an effort to maintain the stability of the relationship between China and the US, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will visit the Chinese capital this week.
