Embassy provides safety advice for Chinese in US

Nearly 300 Chinese citizens in the United States have been subjected to unwarranted harassment and deportation over the past three years, according to Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng, who added "McCarthyism" has interfered with normal US-China exchanges.

The ambassador spoke on Saturday at the Safe Journey in the US consular event held at the Chinese embassy in Washington.

The embassy released a brochure and animated video at the event, advising Chinese citizens how to protect themselves from potential risks while in the US.

"In response to the US' selective, discriminatory and political enforcement of the law, we have emphasized with the US side, argued with reason, and lodged solemn representations with the US Department of State, the National Security Council in the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and other departments," Xie said.

The embassy has "made representations on every occasion, urging the US side to remove the 'stumbling blocks' that impede humanistic exchanges as soon as possible", he added.

Representatives of Chinese students, overseas Chinese and Chinese organizations in the US participated in the event.

The embassy's materials are geared toward helping Chinese people visiting or living in the US stay alert so they can travel safely, according to the ambassador.

Xie said the world has entered a period of turbulence and change, with wars, terrorist attacks and frequent gun violence, and that instability, uncertainty and unpredictability have become the norm.

He added that China's relationship with the world has entered a period of deep integration, with the number of people entering and exiting the country increasing from 5.6 million before reform and opening-up in 1978, to more than 420 million today. Chinese tourists and students also are traveling more around the globe.

"The demand for consular protection has also entered a period of rapid growth. Last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as embassies and consulates abroad handled more than 80,000 consular protection cases, with an average of one case every six minutes. The 12308 hotline received more than 500,000 calls for help, with an average of one call every minute," Xie said.

China-US relations are still facing serious challenges, said Xie, highlighting racial discrimination against Asians, "hysterical McCarthyism" and the poisoning of public opinion that is interfering with normal people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

"Being in a foreign country, we must always tighten the string of security and constantly improve security awareness and preventive capabilities," he said.

Xie noted that the US has either placed on entity lists or sanctioned more than 1,500 Chinese companies.

"The embassy has continued to urge the US side to stop its economic, trade, scientific and technological suppression of China. And we demand that President Biden put into practice his statement that he does not seek to suppress and curb China's development."

The ambassador said the embassy has always maintained the "true colors of people's diplomacy", and protected the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the US with "care, effort and affection, conveying the warmth of the motherland to every compatriot in the US".

Several Chinese students in the US said the information provided by the embassy was a good guide for them to stay safe while living in the US, especially in an election year when tensions can rise.

"The safety information including the exchange of foreign currency, psychological issues and more was customized for us and made me feel very at ease. Today's event made me feel at home," said Qiang Lingyi, a law student at Georgetown University.

yifanxu@chinadailyusa.com