Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, WPR Newsletter and Engagement Editor Benjamin Wilhelm curates the week’s top news and expert analysis on China.
Last week, the Trump administration announced it would begin requiring Chinese diplomats in the United States to notify the State Department in advance of any meetings with American officials at the state or local level, as well as with educational and research institutions in the country. The move was a response to Beijing’s own rules requiring American diplomats in China to seek permission from the Chinese government before visiting institutions or meeting with local officials in an official capacity.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Thursday it was “simply not true” that China limits diplomatic activity within the country and called on the State Department to withdraw its decision. But Terry Branstad, the U.S. ambassador to China, told NPR on Monday that the new rules are “modest” compared to the reporting requirements China puts on American diplomats in the country.