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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 4 december 2020

China hits out at U.S. over new visa restrictions

party’s 92 million members city of Chengdu.
do not play active public Washington had been loos-
roles in its institutions. ening restrictions on travel
The restrictions are the lat- by Chinese to the U.S., seek-
est punitive measure taken ing to take advantage of
against China’s leadership the lavish spending habits
and economy amid sharp- of China’s newly wealthy.
ening disputes over human Beginning in 2014, Chinese
rights, the coronavirus pan- travelers — whether party
demic, trade, technology, members or not — became
Taiwan and a host of other eligible for multiple-entry vi-
issues. On Wednesday, the sas valid for 10 years, with
U.S. said it would block im- stays of 180 days allowed
ports from a major Chinese for each entry, while stu-
producer of cotton goods dents were permitted visas
because of its reliance on good for five years. China
workers detained as part reciprocated with similar
of a crackdown on ethnic treatment for U.S. citizens.
minorities in China’s north- Chinese who make up the
west. single largest group of for-
Washington has already eign students at American
slapped travel bans and universities have already
financial sanctions on of- complained of tougher
In this Sept. 16, 2018, file photo, American flags are displayed together with Chinese flags on top ficials connected to the conditions for obtaining
of a trishaw in Beijing.
Associated Press crackdown on Uighurs or extending visas. Chi-
and other Chinese Muslim nese academics have
BEIJING (AP) — China on Hua called Washington’s in a statement Thursday groups in Xinjiang, as well also faced greater scru-
Thursday accused critics approach “totally incon- that the new restrictions as on Chinese and Hong tiny, while dozens of jour-
in the U.S. government of sistent with the U.S.’s own are intended to protect the Kong officials it accuses nalists with state media
“an escalation of political interests,” and said it would U.S. from the Chinese Com- of restricting social and have been forced to return
suppression” against Bei- damage America’s global munist Party’s “malign influ- political rights in the semi- home and visa restrictions
jing following new visa re- image. ence.” autonomous Chinese city placed on those remain-
strictions on members of “I think it is obvious to all “For decades we allowed through the implementa- ing, prompting retaliation
China’s ruling Communist that this is an escalation the CCP free and unfet- tion of a harsh new nation- from Beijing.
Party and their immediate of political suppression by tered access to U.S. institu- al security law. Analysts have long specu-
family members. some extreme anti-China tions and businesses while Diplomatic ties hit a low lated that President Donald
Foreign ministry spokesper- forces in the U.S. out of these same privileges were point over the summer Trump will impose harsher
son Hua Chunying said Chi- strong ideological preju- never extended freely to when the U.S. ordered the measures on China before
na would “make represen- dice and deep-rooted U.S. citizens in China,” it closure of the Chinese con- leaving office on Jan. 20,
tations” to the U.S. over its Cold War mentality against said. sulate in Houston and Chi- placing President-elect Joe
decision to limit such peo- China,” Hua said at a daily It wasn’t clear how the na responded by demand- Biden in a bind in manag-
ple to one-month, single- briefing. restrictions would be en- ing the U.S. vacate its con- ing the increasingly frac-
entry visas. The State Department said forced since many of the sulate in the southwestern tious relationship. q

U.S. to reduce staff at Baghdad embassy amid regional tensions

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA dad embassy staff as ten- but Iraqi Prime Minister Mus-
Associated Press sions with Iran and its allies tafa al-Kadhimi still faces
BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. spike. pressure from Iran-aligned
is withdrawing some staff It was not immediately groups to eject U.S. forces.
from its embassy in Bagh- clear how many personnel The U.S. official, who was
dad, Iraqi and U.S. officials were to be withdrawn, nor not authorized to give press
said Thursday, temporarily did Tueller give any rea- statements and spoke on
reducing personnel amid sons. condition of anonymity,
regional security concerns. A U.S. official, however, said also cited concerns about
U.S. Ambassador Mathew the decision stems from possible Iranian retalia-
Tueller said the reduction concern about a possible tion for the killing of Iranian
would not affect the mis- Iranian retaliatory strike nuclear scientist Mohsen
sion’s work, adding that he on the first anniversary of Fakhrizadeh in Tehran last
will continue to carry out his the U.S. airstrike that killed week.
duties from the embassy for Iran’s top general, Qassim The partial withdrawal from
the “foreseeable future.” Soleimani, and senior Iraqi the embassy is taking place In this Jan. 1, 2020 file photo, Iraqi army soldiers are deployed in
“I will do so with the support militia leaders near Bagh- amid a drawdown of Amer- front of the U.S. embassy, in Baghdad, Iraq.
of a core team of American dad’s airport in January. ican troops from Iraq and Associated Press
diplomats and U.S. advisors The killing sparked outrage Afghanistan announced
to the Iraqi military,” he said and led Iraq’s parliament by the outgoing Trump ad- An Iraqi government of- said that part of the with-
in a video statement post- to pass a non-binding reso- ministration last month. In ficial said the Iraqi gov- drawals were partly due to
ed on the U.S. Embassy’s lution days later calling for Iraq, the U.S. plans to re- ernment was notified of a staff finishing their rotations
Facebook page on Thurs- the expulsion of all foreign duce the number of troops partial withdrawal of some and others going on leave.
day evening following lo- troops from Iraq. from 3,000 to 2,500 by mid- staff from the U.S. Embassy The official spoke on con-
cal reports that the U.S. is The government later re- January, before Trump is to as a “precautionary and dition of anonymity in line
withdrawing some Bagh- treated from such threats, leave office. security step.” The official with regulations. q