© Global Look Press / Ringo ChiuFILE PHOTO
The two unnamed Chinese diplomats had been told to leave the US earlier in September, but the demarche came to light after the New York Times reported it on Sunday. The officials in question allegedly drove onto the Norfolk base, breached its perimeter, and stopped only after fire trucks blocked their way.
A day after the piece was published, Beijing voiced unease over the whole affair. "This is a serious distortion of facts, the Chinese side has reprimanded the United States by lodging a protest," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a Monday press briefing, as quoted by TASS.
Washington has yet to confirm the Times' report and address the Chinese concerns. Now, Beijing wants the US to protect foreign diplomats on its soil and "fix their mistakes," Geng stated.
Interestingly, the State Department placed restrictions on Chinese diplomats, obliging them to request permission before meeting local officials or institutions. China retaliated by introducing similar measures for American diplomats on its soil.
Comment: It seems the tit-for-tat measures are ramping up, and this is happening just as the US and China were beginning to talk about easing some of the trade restrictions. Although we've seen these hints of sabotage a number of times before which leads one to wonder whether a faction within the US is seriously against good relations between the two countries: