What's happened
US diplomats and their family members were detained in China during COVID-19 quarantine.
Why it matters
The detention of US diplomats in China raises concerns about the potential pressure to surrender intelligence and the violation of their liberties.
What the papers say
According to The Washington Post and correspondence provided by whistle-blowers, China engaged in a sustained campaign to deprive US diplomats of their liberties under the guise of COVID-19 containment. Two US Republican lawmakers have asked the State Department to save documents linked to the detention of US diplomats. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed the complaints from the US congressmembers, stating that China adopts a science-based and effective epidemic prevention protocol without discrimination.
How we got here
The US Department of State had previously called on US citizens to leave Russia due to growing tensions over the invasion of Ukraine. The US embassy in Moscow issued a security alert urging Americans to leave the country as soon as possible.
More on these topics
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.