US cancels visas for over 1,000 Chinese nationals

The United States revoked visas for over 1,000 Chinese nationals, denying entry to students and researchers deemed security risks, the State Department said on Wednesday.

The acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, said the blocking of the visas had been implemented “for certain Chinese graduate students and researchers with ties to China’s military fusion strategy to prevent them from stealing and otherwise appropriating sensitive research.”

He also repeated charges of unjust business practices and industrial espionage by China. He added that the US was preventing goods produced by slave labour from entering US markets and said that China did not respect the “inherent dignity of each human being”.

A State Department spokeswoman said: “As of September 8, 2020, the department has revoked more than 1,000 visas of PRC nationals who were found to be subject to Presidential Proclamation 10043 and therefore ineligible for a visa.”

China called the move a violation of human rights. In Beijing on Thursday, a foreign ministry spokesman described the US move as “naked” political persecution and racial discrimination.

“China reserves the right to make a further response on this issue,” Zhao Lijian told a daily media briefing according to Reuters.

This is likely to become yet another sticking point in China’s and the US’ sour relationship. Tension between both sides has been rising lately as they clash over trade,human rights, Hong Kong and the coronavirus among other things.