US bans its civil servants from having romantic relationships with Chinese citizens – AP
Photo: ERA/ALEX PLAVEVSKI
The government of the United States has prohibited American civil servants stationed in China, along with their families and contractors, from forming any romantic or sexual connections with Chinese citizens, as reported by The Associated Press, citing four anonymous sources.
Four individuals directly involved in the matter informed the AP that this policy was initiated by former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in January, just prior to his departure from the position.
While some US agencies previously enforced stringent regulations regarding personal relationships, the overarching directive of “no fraternization” had not been publicly acknowledged since the Cold War era.
In the summer of 2024, American staff were only barred from engaging in “romantic and sexual relationships” with Chinese nationals employed as security personnel and other support staff at US embassies and consulates. However, just days before President Donald Trump returned to the White House, Burns broadened this restriction to encompass any association with Chinese nationals.
Two sources close to the situation indicated that discussions regarding such a policy commenced last summer after members of the US Congress approached Burns, voicing concerns about the leniency of the existing restrictions.
The new regulation is applicable to all US missions within mainland China, which includes the embassy in Beijing and consulates located in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan, and Hong Kong. Nevertheless, it does not pertain to Americans working outside of China.
The sole exception applies to US personnel who already have established relationships with Chinese citizens. They may request a so-called waiver, and if denied, they must either terminate the relationship or resign. Those who contravene the policy will be required to leave China immediately.
The term “non-fraternization” denotes the ban on friendly or personal relationships between specific groups of individuals, including romantic or sexual connections between employees or servants who are in subordinate positions to one another, or between individuals belonging to different classifications.
- On March 21, 2025, reports indicated that imports of American cotton, automobiles, and certain energy products into China experienced a significant decline in the initial two months of 2025 following the implementation of tariffs by the Trump administration and retaliatory actions from Beijing.
- On March 26, it was uncovered that a network of firms managed by a secretive Chinese entity was attempting to recruit recently dismissed US government employees.
- Following Trump’s announcement regarding the imposition of new tariffs on foreign products, the White House released a comprehensive list of countries, stating that China would incur an additional 34% tariff on top of the previously established 20%.
