US diplomat fired over relationship with woman accused of ties to Chinese Communist Party
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department said Wednesday it fired a U.S. diplomat over an admitted romantic relationship with a Chinese woman with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
The dismissal is believed to be the first of its kind for a violation prohibition of such relationships This was implemented under the Biden administration late last year.
The Associated Press reported earlier this year that in the final days of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, the State Department banned all American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from having any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens.
The diplomat in question was dismissed from the foreign service after President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reviewed the case and determined that he “admitted to concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
“Under Secretary Rubio’s leadership, we will maintain a policy of zero tolerance for any employee caught undermining our country’s national security,” Pigott said.
The statement did not identify the diplomat, but he and his girlfriend appeared in a secretly shot video posted online by conservative firebrand James O’Keefe.
