China urges U.S. to immediately withdraw restrictions on Chinese diplomats

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged the U.S. State Department to immediately withdraw its decision to impose tighter limitations on Chinese diplomats.

"We urge the U.S. State Department to immediately revoke the wrong move, stop obstructing normal exchanges between the two peoples and sabotaging bilateral ties," said spokesperson Hua Chunying when responding to a query about the issue at a daily press briefing held Thursday.

China will make a justified and necessary response in light of the situation, she said.

Hua's remarks came after the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that senior Chinese diplomats will be required to seek approval to visit U.S. university campuses and meet with local government officials. Chinese diplomats will also have to get permission to host cultural events with an audience larger than 50 people outside mission properties.

The U.S. State Department has ramped up restrictions on Chinese embassy and consulates and their staff performing duties in the United States since October, said Hua. "Such moves severely violate international laws and basic norms governing international relations, and seriously interfere with China-U.S. ties as well as the normal exchanges between the two sides."

China has always provided facilitation for U.S. diplomatic and consular personnel to perform their duties in China according to laws and regulations, while the U.S. State Department twice required Chinese diplomats to notify them of plans for activities in October and this June, and even restricted them from carrying out private and social exchanges with local U.S. officials, according to Hua.

"This shows that the anti-China forces in the United States have lost their sensibility and confidence and developed anti-China paranoia, which will definitely be met with denunciation and opposition from people with insight," Hua said.

Stressing that China-U.S. ties are important to the two countries as well as the world, Hua suggested that both sides maintain a smooth channel of communication at all times.

The Chinese embassy and consulates in the United States will continue to maintain normal exchanges with people from all sectors of U.S. society, said Hua, adding that China will continue to support normal exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.