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WORLD NEWS Thursday 24 May 2018

US employee in China reported strange sounds, pressure

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN partner that China claims
Associated Press as its own territory.
BEIJING (AP) — A U.S. In Cuba, the U.S. reported
government employee in that some of its personnel
southern China reported and family members ex-
abnormal sensations of perienced a range of ail-
sound and pressure, the ments, often after hearing
State Department said an unusual sound. For most,
Wednesday, recalling simi- the symptoms occurred
lar experiences among around May 2017.
American diplomats in The still-unexplained inci-
Cuba who later fell ill. dents sparked a rift in U.S.-
Secretary of State Mike Cuban relations, while in-
Pompeo described it as a vestigators have chased
"serious medical incident." theories including a sonic
In an emailed notice to attack, electromagnetic
American citizens in Chi- weapon or a flawed spying
na, the department said device.
it wasn't currently known Pompeo said Wednesday
what caused the symp- that he expects the results
toms in the city of Guang- of an independent investi-
zhou, where an American gation into the Cuban inci-
consulate is located. dents by the middle of next
"A U.S. government em- week.
ployee in China recently Last October, the State De-
reported subtle and vague, partment ordered non-es-
but abnormal, sensations sential embassy personnel
of sound and pressure," and the families of all staff
the notice said. "The U.S. to leave Havana, arguing
government is taking these the U.S. could not protect
reports seriously and has them from unexplained ill-
informed its official staff in In this Oct. 26, 2009 file photo, security workers guard at construction site of the U.S. Consulate nesses that have harmed
China of this event." compound in Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong province. at least 24 Americans.
The department said it Associated Press Symptoms, sounds and
wasn't aware of any similar sensations reportedly var-
situations in China, either side also carry out some was being sent to Guang- adding that the symptoms ied dramatically from per-
within the diplomatic com- internal investigations. We zhou and "we are working continued through April. son to person. Some have
munity or among others. It don't want to see this indi- to figure out what took The worker was sent to the permanent hearing loss or
didn't further identify the vidual case be magnified, place both in Havana and U.S. for additional testing. concussions, while others
person with the symptoms complicated or even politi- Guangzhou." On Monday, the U.S. Em- suffered nausea, head-
or say when they had been cized," Wang said. State Department spokes- bassy in Beijing and all five aches and ear-ringing.
detected. Pompeo commended woman Heather Nau- of the U.S. consulates in Some are struggling with
China's National Health China's response, saying it ert said the U.S. Embassy China held town hall meet- concentration or common
Commission did not imme- was honoring its commit- learned on Friday that the ings so that diplomats and word recall, The Associated
diately respond to faxed ment under the Vienna Guangzhou employee had embassy workers could ask Press has reported. Some
questions about the report. Convention to take care shown clinical findings dur- questions or voice con- felt vibrations or heard loud
Chinese Foreign Minister of diplomats serving in their ing medical testing similar cerns. Ambassador Terry sounds mysteriously audible
Wang Yi, who met Wednes- country. He said China has to patients with mild trau- Branstad led the session in in only parts of rooms, and
day with Pompeo in Wash- offered to assist the U.S. in matic brain injury, known Beijing. others heard nothing.q
ington and then addressed investigating. commonly as a concus- Despite hundreds of billions
a joint news conference, Earlier, Pompeo told the sion. That is the same clini- of dollars in annual trade
said that China had been House Foreign Affairs Com- cal finding that doctors between them, China and
investigating and hasn't mittee that the medical in- treating the Cuba patients the U.S. are considered
found any organization or dications of the incident in at the University of Philadel- strategic rivals for influence
individual responsible for Guangzhou "are very similar phia have found in those in Asia. Tensions in the re-
"such a sonic influence." and entirely consistent with patients. lationship frequently flare
"We will stay in communi- the medical indications of The Guangzhou worker over accusations of cheat-
cation with the U.S. through the Americans working in started experiencing "a va- ing at trade, stealing of
diplomatic channels and Havana." riety of symptoms" starting secrets, human rights and
we would suggest the U.S. He said a medical team in late 2017, Nauert said, arms sales to Taiwan, a U.S.