Washington (AFP) – The United States secretly expelled two Chinese embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia, The New York Times reported Sunday.
The newspaper, which cited people with knowledge of the episode, said it appeared to be the first time in more than 30 years that the US has expelled Chinese diplomats on suspicion of espionage.
At least one of the diplomats was believed to be an intelligence officer operating under cover, the Times said.
The Times said the diplomats, accompanied by their wives, drove up to the checkpoint at the entrance to a sensitive installation near Norfolk, Virginia that includes special operations forces.
Personal attacks, Israel, and terrorism define Michigan’s caustic Senate debate
ABC News Targets Trump Family, But Has to Immediately Delete False Story – Was Off by Billions of Dollars
California Medical Breakthroughs Bring In Hundreds of Millions While the Very Same Industry Suffers Substantial Job Loss
Federal grand jury hears evidence in probe of former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s Jan 6 testimony: source
Michigan Senate debate erupts into personal attacks as Rogers, El-Sayed clash over Israel, Iran and more
El Sayed dodges question on whether Israel or Iran poses greater threat to US: ‘Both of them have proven dangerous in their own way’
Letitia James Hit with 52-Count ‘Indictment’ from Her Republican Opponent
Fauci raved about China but fumed at Trump in diary
Arizona man arrested after allegedly emailing White House bomb threat to Tucson news station
Bombshell: New Text from Cornell Rape Accuser Contains 4 Case-Killing Words – ‘Our Body Our Choice’ – Media Omits Them All
Logan Federico’s dad says criminals have become ‘more important’ than victims, pushes repeat offender registry
Pentagon confirms Fort Hood terrorist’s firing squad execution will be livestreamed: ‘Details will follow’
Dem who ripped rival’s donor-fueled ‘good life’ dropped campaign cash on Disney, spouse travel
NFL Legend Tony Dungy Says His Christian Faith Played a Role in His Firing from NBC: ‘They Knew Who I Was’
Roseanne Barr Roars Back from Cancellation by Secretly Filming Star-Studded Sitcom
The guard saw that they didn’t have permission to enter and directed them to go through the gates, turn around and exit.
The Chinese officials continued onto the base, evading military personnel pursuing them until they were forced to stop by fire trucks blocking their path, according to the Times.
It said the officials said they didn’t understand the guard’s instructions and got lost.
Weeks after the incident, the State Department placed restrictions on the activities of Chinese diplomats, in what it said was a response to years-old Chinese regulations limiting the movements of US diplomats.
Story cited here.
