US protests China visa rules by snubbing Apec meet in Macau

[WASHINGTON] The US has decided against sending senior officials to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Macau, blaming what it called China’s “discriminatory” visa rules on American diplomats.

While its level of representation wasn’t clear, the State Department said it was reacting to Beijing’s rejection of a request to address existing restrictions on the ability of US personnel to provide emergency consular services to Americans in Macau. The Apec Tourism Ministerial Meeting is being held in the special administrative region of China this week.

“When China chose to host an Apec meeting focused on tourism in Macau, the United States once again asked China to address our concerns, proposing a positive way forward,” the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday. “China, regrettably, rejected our proposal, and instead chose to maintain its discriminatory practice.”

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the US of “political manipulation” and “interference” in its hosting of the Apec ministerial meeting.

The US’ claim of restrictions to its ability to provide emergency consular services to US citizens in Macau “reverses right and wrong and confuses public opinion,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that China has consistently provided visa facilitation for US personnel travelling to Macau.

The dispute is bringing long simmering tensions to the surface even as the world’s two largest economies try to stabilise their relations despite divisive issues ranging from Taiwan to trade.

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Beijing has been requiring American diplomats to secure a separate visa to enter Macau, where the US has no consular presence. The US consulate general in Hong Kong handles consulate services in the nearby casino hub.

The State Department said it wanted to “build a constructive relationship of strategic stability with China,” following President Donald Trump’s meeting last month with his counterpart, Xi Jinping. 

Later in the year, China will host the Apec summit in Shenzhen that Trump may attend. BLOOMBERG