WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration is considering banning travel to the United States from all members of the Chinese Communist Party and their families, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday, an idea that China dismissed as absurd.
Senior officials who discussed the matter began distributing a draft of a possible presidential order, but discussions were at an early stage and the issue had not yet been brought up to President Donald Trump, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The discussions, first reported by the New York Times, focus on denying visas to more than 90 million Chinese in what would be one of Washington’s toughest actions but in a growing dispute with Beijing that some have compared to a new Cold War.
Such a ban, if implemented, could strike the ruling Communist Party from the highest levels to its base and would surely generate retaliation against Americans traveling to China. This could include not only diplomats but also business executives, which could harm America’s interests in China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying asked about the possibility of such a travel ban and told reporters on Friday that, if it materializes, it would mean that the United States is choosing to confront 1.4 billion people.
“This goes against the trend of the 21st century, and it is very absurd,” he said, noting that no US official had clarified whether the reports of the possible ban were correct.
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not confirm that it was under consideration, but said: “We are working, under the direction of the president, on how to think about rejecting the Chinese Communist Party.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters: “We keep all options on the table regarding China.”
Relations between the world’s two largest economies have plunged to the lowest point in decades as they clash over China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, its control over Hong Kong, its controversial claims in the South Sea. China, Trade and Human Rights Crime Charges in Xinjiang
American officials from various agencies are involved in the process, which includes consideration of whether to block the entrance of the children of Communist Party members to American universities, said the source, who was informed of the deliberations.
The fact that such a radical ban is being discussed shows just how far Trump’s aides can be prepared to make the China issue a boost to his re-election campaign in November.
Trump and possible Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have competed to outdo each other as to who can take a firmer position against China.
Trump’s aides have made the Communist Party a prime target for what they call Beijing’s “evil” activities. But Trump has stopped directly criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he has praised as a friend.
One option is to base such a visa moratorium on the immigration laws used by Trump to justify his 2017 travel ban from a group of predominantly Muslim countries, according to the person familiar with the discussions.
Trump may also have the authority to make exceptions for certain individuals or categories, the source said.
One difficulty would be determining which Chinese citizens are party members, since US authorities do not have complete lists, the source said.
Reports by Matt Spetalnick, additional reports by Makini Brice, Humeyra Pamuk and David Brunnstrom in Washington and Cate Cadell in Beijing; Chizu Nomiyama, Tom Brown, Jonathan Oatis and Nick Macfie edition
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