China’s public security minister urged the US homeland security secretary to end alleged “harassment” of Chinese students entering the US during a meeting in Vienna on Monday, according to Beijing’s state media.
Beijing has regularly claimed that Chinese nationals with proper travel papers were subjected to forceful interrogation and deportation at US airports.
Last month, the embassy in Washington advised Chinese visitors to avoid the capital’s Dulles airport.
Beijing urged Washington must “stop harassing and checking Chinese students for no apparent reason” in a readout of discussions between Wang Xiaohong and Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
During his discussion with Mayorkas, Wang encouraged the US to “ensure that Chinese citizens enjoy fair entry treatment and full dignity,” according to Xinhua.
Wang also urged Mayorkas to “correct” the US decision to include China on a list of key countries trafficking or producing narcotics.
US officials have long accused China of being engaged in the distribution of fentanyl, which is many times more potent than heroin and causes more than 70,000 overdose deaths in the United States each year.
Last month in Beijing, US and Chinese officials pledged to work together to reduce the manufacturing of precursor chemicals, which are used to produce fentanyl.
According to a US readout of Sunday’s meetings, Wang and Mayorkas had a “candid and constructive discussion on the steps needed to combat the spread of precursor chemicals”.
“The two sides also made commitments with respect to continued law enforcement cooperation, technical bilateral exchanges between scientists and other experts, scheduling of precursor chemicals, and furthering multilateral cooperation,” according to the statement.
Washington and Beijing also addressed strengthening cooperation “in the fight to protect children from online child sexual exploitation and abuse,” according to the readout.
Relations between China and the United States have improved over the last year as Washington has attempted dialogue with Beijing.
However, the Chinese government continues to oppose US policies, such as a ban on advanced semiconductor exports and sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich last week that the US must “lift illegal unilateral sanctions”.
Wang also urged the United States to “stop unwarranted harassment and interrogation of Chinese citizens”.