CHINA WARNS US IT MAY JAIL AMERICANS OVER PROSECUTION OF SCHOLARS

The Chinese government has warned Washington it may detain Americans in China in response to the Justice Department’s prosecution of Chinese military-affiliated scholars, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said Chinese officials had issued repeated warnings through multiple channels to US government officials, Reuters said. 

China’s message was that the United States should end prosecutions of Chinese scholars in US courts, or Americans in China could find themselves charged with violating Chinese law. 

The White House referred questions to the State Department, which did not immediately comment. The Justice Department also did not immediately respond to a query from Reuters. A State Department advisory on Sept. 14 warning against travel to China said the Chinese government uses arbitrary detention of US citizens and others “to gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments.”