China kicks, as US further restricts its diplomats’ travels, meetings

The government of China has kicked against a decision by the United States of America which states that senior Chinese diplomats will now be required to secure State Department approval before visiting US university campuses and holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside embassy grounds.

The development has drawn condemnation from Beijing which described the move as a “gross violation” of Vienna Conventions that govern diplomacy.

The US should “correct its mistakes, revoke the relevant decisions, and provide support and facilitation for Chinese diplomats in the US to carry out the relevant activities,” the Global Times, a state-run tabloid, reported the embassy as saying.

READ ALSO: ESPIONAGE ALLEGATIONS: China accuses US & its allies of ‘fabricating facts’

Reports say the decision comes as part of President Donald Trump’s administration campaign against alleged Chinese influence operations and espionage activity.

The State Department said it also would take action to help ensure all Chinese embassy and consular social media accounts were “properly identified”.

“We’re simply demanding reciprocity. Access for our diplomats in China should be reflective of the access that Chinese diplomats in the United States have, and today’s steps will move us substantially in that direction,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news briefing on Wednesday.

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