April 9 (UPI) — China’s government on Wednesday warned its citizens about traveling to the United States amid deteriorating relations between the two nations, including a trade war with tariffs.
The Asian nation noted the worsening diplomatic relations and domestic security concerns. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism warned people traveling to the United States, and the Ministry of Education discouraged students from traveling overseas.
“Due to the deterioration of Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations and the domestic security situation in the United States, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reminds Chinese tourists to fully assess the risks of traveling to the United States and travel with caution,” the ministry said.
The warning was made after China announced it would respond with an additional 50% tariff on all U.S. goods coming into the nation in response to tariffs by the United States that took effect Wednesday.
Later Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced more tariffs for a total of 125%. He paused all other reciprocal tariffs on other nations, instead going with a 10% baseline, except for certain sectors.
Beijing viewed the tariff increases as “groundless” and called them “unilateral bullying.”
China’s ministry urged people to evaluate risks carefully and exercise caution regarding plans to travel to the United States.
In 2024, there were about 1.6 million Chinese tourists in the country, according to Statistica. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 2.83 million travelers in the United States in 2019.
Regarding students, “the Ministry of Education reminds overseas students to assess the risks of studying in the U.S. in the near future.”
Last month, the state of Ohio imposed restrictions on academic exchanges between Chinese and U.S. institutions. As part of the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, public universities are banned from accepting gifts, donations or any contributions from entities affiliated with China, excluding the tuition and donations from alumni.
In 2023-24, there were 277,398 Chinese students studying in the United States, the second largest group of international students behind India, according to the Institute of International Education.
Several other nations have issued travel guidance on those wanting to go to the United States from countries including Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal.
