U.S. State Department Orders Non-Essential Personnel and Their Families to Evacuate from Shanghai

On April 11, local time, the U.S. State Department officials issued a decree to evacuate non-essential staff from the Shanghai U.S. consulate. Two days ago, on April 9, the U.S. consulate in Shanghai issued a notice authorizing the evacuation of non-emergency U.S. government employees and all family members and reminded travelers to avoid traveling to Communist China; if they do, they are advised to plan their trip carefully.

Nonetheless, the website of U.S. consulate’s in Communist China only briefly touches upon the risks travelers may face, for example, the Chinese Communist Party authority’s inhumane anti-epidemic policies that forcely separate parents and children. The U.S. Department of State issued a formal evacuation order and a level three travel ban only two days later. The order consists of a sternly worded list of the dire consequences of travelling to Communist China.

It highlights the various powers that the Chinese Communist Party’s national security services can exercise, such as unlawful imprisonment, prolonged interrogation and detention, criminal investigations, the threatening of family members, and cyber-violence against the United States on the Internet.

The U.S. consulate has updated 15 precautions for travel to mainland China and Hong Kong. In particular, the office warned American citizens not to exercise freedom of speech at will when in Communist China, and to be careful about the secret police around them, as well as to keep a low profile to their surrounding environment, etc.