The U.S. State Department advised against Americans traveling to China due to the risk that one could be wrongfully detained or prevented from leaving the country.
The travel advisory released last week warns that Chinese authorities can and would consider a range of business and research activities as possible spying.
“[People’s Republic of China] 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,” the advisory read.
“There is increased official scrutiny of U.S. and third-country firms, such as professional service and due diligence companies, operating in the PRC. Security personnel could detain U.S. citizens or subject them to prosecution for conducting research or accessing publicly available material inside the PRC.”
The advisory came after China sentenced a 78-year-old U.S. citizen to life in prison for spying, as reported by The Dallas Express. The specific allegations against John Shing-Wan Leung, also a permanent resident of Hong Kong, have not been released.
The advisory warned that China could prevent travelers from leaving the country to “compel individuals to participate in PRC government investigations, pressure family members of the restricted individual to return to the PRC from abroad, resolve civil disputes in favor of PRC citizens, and gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments.”
The statement also cautioned against the risk of taking drugs while in China because even a drug that is legal somewhere else could be illegal in China and lead to detention or penalties that are more severe than in other places.
China considers such pronouncements by the U.S. as insults and provocations, the Associated Press reported.
The country reportedly responded to previous such advisories with a warning of its own that Chinese travelers could become victims of the United States’ out-of-control crime or discrimination against Asians. China has also apparently warned its nationals of the cost of healthcare in the U.S. should they find themselves in a medical emergency.
