US diplomat fired after romance with alleged Chinese spy

The U.S. State Department has dismissed an American diplomat for a romantic relationship with a Chinese woman suspected of ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

This is reportedly the first dismissal under a new regulation, which took effect in late 2024 during the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration, and prohibits such relationships.

According to an earlier report by the Associated Press, the policy — implemented in late 2024 — bans all U.S. government employees stationed in China, along with their family members and contractors with security clearances, from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese nationals.

The State Department did not name the diplomat, but both he and his partner had appeared in a covert video circulated online by activist James O’Keefe.