US-China relations: Beijing says banning 92 million Communist Party members from America ‘ridiculous’

Senior US officials reported to be working on draft of presidential order but proposal not yet put before Trump

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman says proposal an affront after party helped lift country from poverty and build modern nation

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China’s foreign ministry says a reported US plan to ban entry for all members of China’s ruling Communist Party would be an antagonistic move. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 9:00pm, 17 Jul 2020Updated: 10:38pm, 17 Jul 2020

China said the US would antagonise the 1.4 billion Chinese people if it went ahead with a plan to ban entry for all members of the ruling Communist Party.

The US Trump administration is reportedly reviewing a proposal of a sweeping ban on travel to the United States by members of the Communist Party of China, a move that would further strain ties between the world’s two biggest economies. Beijing has called the US “pathetic” and “ridiculous” amid such reports.

“If the reports are true, the US is choosing to stand in opposition to all the 1.4 billion Chinese people, which is standing in opposition against one-fifth of the world’s population,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday.

“This would be against the will of the people in both nations and against the trend of the 21st century, and is very ridiculous.”

US media, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, reported that the Trump administration was considering banning travel to the United States by all members of the Communist Party and their families. Reuters, citing an unnamed source, reported that senior US officials discussing the matter had begun circulating a draft of a possible presidential order but deliberations were at an early stage and the issue had not yet been brought to Trump.