Why US Has Banned Diplomats From Romantic, Sexual Relations With Chinese

The U.S. government has implemented a strict policy prohibiting American government personnel, family members, and contractors with security clearances from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, per the Associated Press. This policy, put in place by the former U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January, is a significant departure from previous guidelines, which only restricted relationships with Chinese citizens working in specific roles, such as embassy guards.

Such a blanket "non-fraternisation" policy has been unheard of since the Cold-War, since it's not uncommon for American diplomats in other countries to date locals or marry them. Until the new ban in January, US personnel in China were expected to inform their seniors about any intimate contact with Chinese citizens, but were not explicitly forbidden from sexual or romantic relationships.

The new policy is a response to concerns over potential security risks, particularly in light of China's alleged use of "honeypots" to extract sensitive information from American diplomats. According to Peter Mattis, a former CIA analyst, Chinese state security agents have been known to seduce American diplomats, and even ordinary Chinese citizens who date American diplomats could be vulnerable to coercion.