In a travel warning posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's WeChat account, it was reminded that some Chinese students and company employees have recently faced "illegal interrogation and harassment by police" at airports in the US.
Noting that Chinese citizens' phones, computers and other items in their luggage were searched one by one and some were banned from entering the country, the statement said that those traveling to the US may face similar situations.
The statement noted that the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Embassy in Washington and the consulates in the country have protested to the US authorities on this issue.
CHINA PROTESTED THE TREATMENT AT DULLES AIRPORT
In a statement released on January 29, the Chinese Embassy in Washington reported that some Chinese students protested against the United States for the mistreatment they faced upon their arrival at Dulles International Airport in Washington.
The statement said that the students' electronic devices were checked at the airport, they were prevented from contacting their parents and were detained for up to 10 hours in some cases, adding that the behavior of border control officials disrupted Chinese students' academic studies and caused serious psychological damage.
The statement emphasized that the practice was contrary to the agreement reached by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to increase humanitarian interactions between the two countries during their meeting in San Francisco in November 2023.
Chinese Ambassador to Washington Shie Fıng stated that the mistreatment was "unacceptable" and said, "Chinese students face interrogations that can last up to 8 hours when they land at the airport. They cannot contact their parents, baseless accusations are made against them, and they are even deported and prevented from entering the country."
The embassy warned Chinese students to "exercise caution when they arrive at the airport in question."
STUDENTS RECEIVING STATE SCHOLARSHIPS QUESTIONED
China Science Daily, a publication of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, reported in January that a Chinese PhD student in biological sciences was interrogated at Dulles Airport.
It was reported that the female student was frisked, interrogated for 8 hours and kept alone in a detention center for 12 hours, and 10 other Chinese students were subjected to similar treatment.
It is stated that the interrogations are investigating the scholarships the students received from the China Scholarship Council for their education in the US and their role in classified research.
