US State Department Warns Americans in China of Increased Risk of Arbitrary Detention

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 11th (local time), Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Department of State issued a warning alert, stating that the risk of arbitrary law enforcement by Chinese authorities, such as arbitrary detention, is increasing for U.S. citizens residing in or traveling in China.

According to the report, the U.S. Department of State warned that "Americans may be detained without consular assistance or without knowing the charges," and for national security reasons, "Americans may face prolonged interrogation or detention." The Department of State added, "Individuals may be detained or forcibly deported for sending private electronic documents critical of the Chinese government."

However, the Department of State did not specify the reasons behind issuing the warning alert or the specific circumstances under which such situations might occur.

This warning alert came amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over issues including the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the trade war, and the Hong Kong National Security Law. The Donald Trump administration pressured China through repeated accountability claims following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Earlier, on the 8th, the Australian government warned that the risk of its citizens being detained increased due to China’s application of the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law), advising to "reconsider the necessity of staying in Hong Kong." In response, the Chinese government strongly opposed the warning, calling it "completely groundless misinformation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.