A U.S. diplomat was dismissed on Wednesday after the State Department discovered he was involved in a romantic relationship with a Chinese woman linked to the Chinese Communist Party. This was confirmed by Fox News.
Tommy Piggott, the State Department’s chief spokesman, stated that President Trump reviewed the situation and approved the diplomat’s termination. The diplomat reportedly admitted to concealing the relationship with a Chinese individual tied to the Communist Party.
Piggott commented, “Under Secretary Rubio’s leadership, we will maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy for any employee conduct that jeopardizes national security.”
The identity of the diplomat hasn’t been officially disclosed, but it appears he was featured in a video by James O’Keefe, the founder of Project Veritas. O’Keefe, having parted ways with Project Veritas in 2023, now leads O’Keefe Media Group, which conducts similar undercover operations.
In the video, the individual described himself as rebelling “against my government for love” and suggested that the woman he was involved with might have been a spy, mentioning her father was a member of the Communist Party.
A spokesperson from the Chinese government, when asked about the incident, referred to it as a domestic U.S. issue and refrained from commenting further. However, Guo Jiakun, from the Foreign Ministry, stated that they oppose ideological divisions and slander against China.
In January, towards the end of the Biden administration, the U.S. government moved to prohibit government employees in China from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese nationals, extending this ban to contractors with security clearances and relatives of government staff.
Jumping back, the Trump administration had increased scrutiny of Chinese students in American universities after some were implicated in covert activities and espionage. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that plans were underway to revoke student visas for Chinese nationals with connections to the Communist Party.
In late August, there was a push from the president to allow 600,000 Chinese students to study in the U.S., which led to some controversy, especially among conservative circles questioning the rationale behind such a move. Trump emphasized the importance of welcoming Chinese students but noted the need for caution regarding who enters the country.
Fox News has reached out to the Chinese government for their perspective on this situation.
