China is warning its citizens to be more cautious when traveling to the United States after a group of Chinese scholars were denied entry at SeaTac airport.
In a notice issued on Thursday by the Department of Consular Affairs and posted on X, the Foreign Ministry said about 20 scholars with valid visas flew to Seattle to attend academic conferences but were stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on arrival. According to the ministry, they faced what it called “unreasonable” questioning and were ultimately refused entry.
Screen capture from X/@Consular_CHN
Chinese officials said incidents like this have been happening repeatedly at SeaTac airport, describing them as targeted harassment of Chinese academics. As a result, they’re advising travelers to think twice about entering the U.S. through Seattle and to be prepared for possible scrutiny at the border.
The ministry also encouraged travelers to review U.S. entry rules ahead of time and to stay calm if questioned by authorities.