The United States has advised its nationals to reevaluate their trip plans to China amid the rising tensions between the two countries.
The US government issued a warning to its people on Monday about arbitrary law enforcement, travel restrictions, and the possibility of unwarranted detentions.
The warning, which does not mention any specific incidents, comes as China recently convicted a 78-year-old American citizen accused of spying and sentenced him to life in prison.
The U.S. advisory stated, “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, US citizens traveling or residing in the PRC may be detained without access to US consular services or information about their alleged crime.”
The advisory further mentioned, “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."
China passed a law last week governing foreign relations that mandate retaliation against anyone who harms China's interests.
The regulations included a wide range of potential offenses, including taking part in demonstrations, sending digital messages that criticize Chinese policy, and even conducting studies on subjects that are considered to be sensitive.
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