měi guó美国wài jiāo guān外交官yīn因yǐn mán隐瞒yǔ与zhōng guó中国gōng mín公民liàn qíng恋情bèi被jiě gù解雇
On October 8, 2025, the US government announced the dismissal of a diplomat.
The reason was that he failed to report his romantic relationship with a Chinese citizen.
A government spokesperson stated that diplomatic personnel must honestly report personal situations, and concealing relationships may pose security risks.
According to US media reports, the diplomat and his Chinese girlfriend appeared in a video online, but the government did not disclose their names.
Relevant departments said the US government takes matters that may affect national security very seriously.
This incident is related to a new policy.
Starting January 2025, the US requires all government personnel working in China, including diplomats, family members, and staff, not to develop romantic or intimate relationships with Chinese citizens.
If such a relationship already exists, special permission must be applied for; otherwise, they must resign or leave China.
The purpose of this policy is to reduce intelligence risks.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that this is an internal US matter and declined to comment.
However, China expressed opposition to smearing China on ideological grounds.
Analysts believe this incident reflects the current tension in China-US relations and shows that both sides are becoming more cautious on security issues.
Experts warn that overly strict regulations may affect normal exchanges between personnel of the two countries.