The order passed on Thursday stated that government employees including diplomats and their family members, and contractors have security clearance. The scheme was initially introduced by US Ambassador Nicholas Burns to China in January after his exit from the country.
The ban is spread over many cities in China including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan, and Hong Kong. Other than diplomats, their family members and contractors having sensitive information are also covered.
Although people who have a prior relationship with the Chinese are exempted after they apply for it. However, if the bond is denied by authorities they have to end it. Additionally, it does not apply to anybody outside China. This ban has been conveyed to US employees and it shows the underlying strain between China and US going beyond economic sanctions and trade wars.
This ban is a live example of history repeating itself in a different form. As seen in the Cold War period when US employees were strictly banned from committing any relationship with locals in the Soviet and China. After the USSR fell in 1991 the policy was relaxed but it is gathering pace once again signifying a possible threat of espionage from China.
Peter Mattis who has served as an analyst in the CIA, currently serving as president of the Jamestown Foundation informed the sources that two similar cases have been reported from China where US employees have been seduced for gathering information in recent years. He also added that not only trained people but often normal people who come in relation with diplomats and ambassadors in China may be serious suspects.
In the current situation of geopolitical tension, the USA’s move is a tale of caution for tactics applied by countries to coerce each other.
