China has issued a pair of travel warnings for the United States, warning its citizens that they could be subjected to police harassment and fall victim to criminals.

The Foreign Ministry warned citizens Tuesday that Chinese nationals traveling to the U.S. are “repeatedly harassed” by law enforcement agencies through “border interrogations, “drop-in visits and various other means.” The ministry urged Chinese citizens to step up the safety awareness and respond “actively and appropriately.”

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a separate travel warning citing a high frequency of shootings, robberies and thefts in the U.S.

Tuesday’s alerts were issued a day after the education ministry warned that Chinese students and academics are facing strict visa restrictions imposed by the U.S. government, including delays or even rejections in receiving a visa.

The warnings come amid a sharp erosion of bilateral ties between Beijing and Washington amid a months-long trade war that has led to a series of retaliatory tit-for-tat tariff increases.

The two global economic superpowers have held numerous talks aimed at resolving their differences, but U.S. President Donald Trump recently boosted taxes on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after accusing Beijing of reneging on promises to make structural changes to its economic practices.

The Trump administration has also banned American companies from doing business with Chinese technology giant Huawei, alleging the company’s technology could be used to spy on Americans for the Chinese government – allegations which Huawei has repeatedly denied.

Source: VOA

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