China threatens to detain US nationals after Trump admin's prosecution of Chinese scholars

China has warned the United States that it will start detaining US nationals in response to the Justice Department's prosecution of Chinese military-affiliated scholars. As per reports, Chinese officials have issued similar warnings to the United States multiple times through various channels including the US embassy in Beijing.

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China warns US of retaliation

John Demers, the head of the US Justice Department's national security division has stated that only when China adheres to the rule of law and stops detaining foreign citizens can it hope to be seen as ‘one of the world's leading nations’. Demers also said, "We are aware that the Chinese government has, in other instances, detained American, Canadian and other individuals without a legal basis to retaliate against lawful prosecutions and to exert pressure on their governments, with a callous disregard of the individuals involved".

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As per reports, fresh warnings from China comes after the US began detaining Chinese scholars in the United States. US Justice Department has claimed that the arrested scholars had tried to hide their active duty statuses with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from US authorities to justify the detention. One of the Chinese military scientists, Tang Juan, that was questioned by the FBI had taken up residence at the Chinese consulate following her interrogation, as per reports. She was arrested in July after she left the consulate grounds.

In addition to Juan, four other scholars are also reported to have been charged with ‘Visa fraud’ for having ties to the Chinese military and have pled not guilty; two are expected to face trial in November.

The Trump administration, amidst the heightened tensions with China, has also intensified its attacks against Chinese Institutes. The US authorities have urged schools and colleges to rethink their ties to the institutes that bring Chinese language classes to the United States.

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