US employees in China are prohibited from dating Chinese

The new rules for the US personnel must have been introduced by former ambassador Nicholas Burns, just before he left his role in January this year. It reports Ap With reference to four sources with transparency in the change.

According to the News Agency, it is the first time since the Cold War that the United States is facing new « love rules » for staff stationed in another country. Documents, which are no longer secretly stamped, have shown that the Americans introduced similar rules for staff in the Soviet Union and China in 1987, after a marine soldier was seduced by a Soviet spy in Moscow.

The ban applies to « romantic and sexual relationships » with Chinese citizens, otherwise the regulations are not specified more carefully. The only exception is staff who already have ongoing relationships with Chinese, these can apply for exceptions.

If an exception is rejected the relationship must cease or so the employee is forced to leave his role, according to AP’s sources. Anyone who violates the rules is forced to leave China immediately.

The rules apply to staff stationed at the US Embassy in Beijing or at one of the country’s consulate in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang or Wuhan. The Hong Kong staff is also covered. The provisions do not apply to persons stationed in places other than in China.

The proposal must have been presented last summer but first with a milder regulatory framework, what should then have been discussed at the US Foreign Ministry was a ban on relationships with Chinese guards and other Chinese citizens working at the country’s facilities in China.

Previously, relationships between American staff and Chinese citizens were allowed, but Americans had to report all romantic relationships with Chinese to their superiors.

The US Foreign Ministry has not wanted to comment on the new regulations, but is said to have communicated the information internally to its employees in China.