politics
China Allows Sanctioned U.S. Secretary of State Entry Through Name Spelling Change
Beijing has altered the Chinese characters used to spell the name of a sanctioned U.S. secretary of state, creating a legal loophole that permits entry into the country. The change occurred shortly after the official's appointment, according to diplomats and media reports. Chinese officials have stated the sanctions, imposed during the individual's time in the Senate, will not block travel.
May 13, 11:28 AM·2m read1 source
Washington ExaminerAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
China has modified the Mandarin transliteration of a sanctioned U.S. secretary of state's name to allow entry into the country under a linguistic loophole. The secretary of state was sanctioned by Beijing during his time in the Senate for his positions on China and human rights issues.
Shortly after the appointment to the position, Chinese government and official media began using a different spelling of the surname. The first character of the transcribed surname changed from one set of characters to another while keeping the same pronunciation.
Two diplomats told AFP that the adjustment was made specifically to take advantage of a legal loophole because the sanctions applied only under the previous name. Beijing did not address the change when asked about it. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said last year that the change had not been noticed but would be looked into.
In more recent comments, a Chinese Embassy spokesman stated the secretary of state would not be blocked from entering China. The spokesman said the sanctions related to actions taken while the individual was a senator. The secretary of state was one of the most outspoken voices in the Senate against the Chinese government.
The tone has softened in line with the current administration’s stance toward the country. While the name spelling change is notable, it is common for Western figures to have multiple transliterations because the process of converting names into Chinese characters is not standardized.
This often results in different pronunciations. The current U.S. president is alternatively referred to by two different transliterations in Chinese media. The secretary of state drew additional attention during the flight to China by wearing a grey Nike tracksuit.
