Relations between the world’s two largest economies have nosedived in recent months due to a bitter trade war, US sanctions against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and US support for Chinese-claimed Taiwan.
TRAVEL WARNING
Tensions rose sharply in May after Donald Trump’s administration accused China of having “reneged” on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices. Washington later slapped additional tariffs of up to 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate.
After having warned Chinese students and academics on Monday about risks involved in studying in the United States, the government on Tuesday widened its warning to include Chinese companies and tourists.
“In recent days, there have been incidents of gun violence, robberies and thefts in the United States,” China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said. “The department reminds Chinese tourists to fully evaluate the risks of going to the United States, to understand the maintenance of public order of their destination, the laws and regulations, and to conscientiously raise their awareness of safety measures to ensure their safety.”
Chinese companies and citizens in the United States should also be aware of harassment from law enforcement agencies, China’s Foreign Ministry added.
Trump’s administration said on Monday that China was pursuing a “blame game” in recent public statements and a weekend white paper that misrepresented the trade negotiations.
In a joint statement, the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office and the US Treasury reiterated their view that China’s negotiators had “back-pedalled” on important elements of a deal that had been largely agreed, including on an enforcement provision.
“Our insistence on detailed and enforceable commitments from the Chinese in no way constitutes a threat to Chinese sovereignty,” USTR and the Treasury said. “Rather, the issues discussed are common to trade agreements and are necessary to address the systemic issues that have contributed to persistent and unsustainable trade deficits.”