China has long been requesting U.S. diplomats to report and get approval from the Chinese government for meetings with local officials or educational and research institutions in China. As a reciprocal response, on October 16, the U.S. State Department issued a new rule that Chinese diplomats in the U.S. will now have to report meetings with state and local officials, as well as visits to educational and research institutions.
China’s Embassy to the U.S. responded on Twitter: “The US State Department’s latest restrictions on Chinese diplomats are in violation of the Vienna Convention. So far, the Chinese side does not place similar requirements on American diplomats and consular officers in China.”
The U.S. Embassy to China responded on Twitter on October 18: “@AmbCuiTiankai’s Twitter is an example of the open information environment in the U.S. In China, access to Facebook, Twitter & YouTube is blocked and the PRC prevents our diplomats from using Chinese social media. China, why not unlock @USA_China_Talk so your people can see it?”
Source: Epoch Times, October 18, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/10/18/n11597655.htm