Gordon Chang, an attorney and author, expressed his concerns regarding the treatment of Chinese diplomats by the U.S. compared to how China treats American diplomats. Chang shared his statement in a June 26 post on X.
"Beijing for years has been hindering America's diplomats in China," said Chang. "Why are we not treating Chinese diplomats in our country the same way? Whatever happened to reciprocity?"
According to CNBC, Ambassador Nicholas Burns reported that China has been "interrogating and intimidating citizens who attend U.S.-organized events in China, ramping up restrictions on the embassy’s social-media posts and whipping up anti-American sentiment." Burns said the Chinese government has continued to suppress U.S. diplomatic activity in China.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chinese government has rejected Burns’ assertion that Beijing is undermining diplomacy. Mao Ning, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said China acts in mutual respect, saying, "Ambassador Burns’ remarks don’t line up with the facts, deviate from the important consensus reached by the two leaders in their San Francisco summit, are not in line with the proper way for China and the U.S. to coexist and are unhelpful to the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations."
According to a press release from the White House, on November 15, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for a summit and discussed bilateral political relations. During this meeting, Biden recognized that the two countries are in competition. The two leaders mutually recognized bilateral cooperation against global illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking, military communication, addressing risks of artificial intelligence systems and safety, and they exchanged perspectives on regional and global challenges.
Forbes reported that Chang is a writer on topics pertaining to China, Asia, and nuclear proliferation. He authored two books: The Coming Collapse of China and Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On The World. Chang has previously lived and worked in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
