The United States banned its government personnel from having romantic or sexual relationships in China with Chinese citizens.
The news of the ban just surfaced. However, the policy was reportedly put in place back in January by President Biden’s ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, just before he left the communist country.
The Associated Press cited four people who allegedly have direct knowledge of the policy, which was more softly enacted in the summer of 2024. The previous rules surrounded American personnel being barred from having “romantic and sexual relations” with Chinese citizens who worked as guards or other support staff at any of the U.S. consulates or the U.S. embassy in China. Burns then expanded the rules in January, reportedly just days before President Trump took office.
Burns allegedly brought up the rule changes after members of Congress had contacted him and said the restrictions on the government employees were not tough enough.
‘He will not participate in your story.’
The most famous case of recent Chinese spying through romantic connections is likely the Chinese operative Feng Feng, who went by Christine Fang.
According to a bombshell report by Axios in 2020, the spy had sexual or romantic relationships with at least two mayors of Midwestern cities in the span of three years, one of which involved a sexual encounter with a mayor from Ohio. That encounter was in a car that was under electronic FBI surveillance at the time.
The spy also took part in fundraising activity for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) in 2014 for his re-election campaign. Swalwell was not charged for any wrongdoing; however, the spy allegedly helped place at least one intern in the congressman’s office.
“Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn’t seen in nearly six years — to the FBI,” Swalwell’s office told the outlet at the time. “To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story.”
The new policy covers any U.S. employees at American installations in mainland China, including the embassy in Beijing and consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Wuhan. It also applies to the American consulate in Hong Kong.
Those who are already in relationships with Chinese citizens can apply for exemptions.
According to the report’s sources, who agreed to speak only under the condition of anonymity, the directive is also deemed to be confidential and was communicated both verbally and electronically to American personnel in China in January.
The details of what defines a “romantic or sexual relationship” were not provided to reporters.
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