By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ANKARA (AA) – In a new low in bilateral relations, China on Friday slapped “reciprocal restrictions” on US diplomats and other officials posted in the country.
In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the US Department of State “has imposed multiple rounds of restrictions… on Chinese embassy and consulates in the US and their personnel” since October last year.
“The US practice has severely violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and disrupted China-US relations and normal exchanges between the two sides,” read the statement.
“To urge the US to repeal its wrong decisions as soon as possible, the Chinese side has recently sent a diplomatic note announcing reciprocal restrictions on US embassy and consulates, the consulate-general in Hong Kong included, as well as their personnel.”
It said the measures apply to senior diplomats and all other personnel.
Earlier this month, the US State Department made it mandatory for Chinese diplomats to seek approval before visiting any US university campus or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside embassy grounds.
“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 said at the time, claiming that Beijing imposed restrictions on American diplomats in China.
- 'Emperor's new clothes ripped away'
At a news conference on Friday, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, slammed Pompeo for what he termed “endless fabricated accusations” against China, according to state-run daily Global Times.
Responding to the US official’s claims that China used the coronavirus pandemic to “undermine democracy,” he said: “Actually the horrible [COVID-19] epidemic situation in the US has meant the ‘emperor's new clothes’ of American democracy have been ripped away.”
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted China for failing to “adequately respond” to the COVID-19 outbreak, which was first reported in the city of Wuhan last December, with Beijing consistently shooting down his claims.
“US politicians are trying to shift blame under cover of stressing its so-called democracy,” Zhao was quoted as saying by Global Times.
The US, with almost 6.4 million coronavirus cases and over 191,000 fatalities, is the worst-hit country in the world, followed by India, Brazil, Russia, and Peru.
China, on the other hand, has reported just over 85,000 cases and 4,600 deaths so far, and declared victory in its fight against COVID-19 earlier this week.