Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) urged the Department of Homeland Security to close an apparent loophole that allows some Chinese nationals to enter US territory without a visa.
The two Republicans warned that the carvings could be exploited to allow Chinese spies to infiltrate US military installations on the island of Guam.
Under the policy, certain Chinese nationals can enter the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory about 1,600 miles from the Philippines, without a business or tourist visa for several weeks.
“The Chinese Communist Party has proven that it will stop at nothing to infiltrate and overtake the United States, and I am working to close the loopholes that allow any further espionage,” Ernst said in a statement.
Ernst, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and has long positioned himself as a staunch supporter of China, wrote a letter with Dunn to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday.
Joni Ernst has long pushed for a more aggressive policy against the Chinese Communist Party. ZUMAPRESS.com
“While the specific details of these arrangements remain hidden from the public, it has been reported that individuals only need to hold a Chinese passport valid for six months beyond their intended stay,” they wrote.
The DHS website on the visa waiver program explains that in 2009, then-DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano used her “discretionary authority” to allow the entry of Russian and Chinese nationals who were “visitors for business or pleasure.”
Parole will be granted on a “case-by-case” basis, according to the website, and will only allow for stays in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Northern Mariana Islands became a US territory after World War II. lesniewski – stock.adobe.com
The department cited “significant economic benefits” to the island, which has a population of more than 55,000 people.
Ernst and Dunn claimed in their letter that US Customs and Border Protection enacted a specific policy in 2019 that allowed Chinese nationals to visit the island chain for 14 days without a visa.
“The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is the only US territory that does not require a visa for Chinese citizens to enter. Current law allows Chinese nationals to enter the island for 14 days without a visa,” Dunn said in a statement.
The Northern Mariana Islands are a chain of 14 islands with a population of just over 55,000. Patrick Horton – stock.adobe.com
“Law enforcement is doing an incredible job catching those who come to the island with bad intentions. However, we must implement the B-1/B-2 visa requirement to enter the CMNI to successfully prevent the Chinese Communist Party’s transnational invasion and repression.”
The main concern for Ernst and Dunn is that the policy could leave the US territorial island chain exposed to various risks such as organized crime and drug trafficking.
Ernst and Dunn also noted that Chinese nationals had previously been found entering the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan, then coordinating illegal transport to Guam, which has several sensitive military sites.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has long been a Republican focus on immigration. Reuters
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In recent months, the White House has sought to ease strained relations with Beijing.
President Biden met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier this month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.
President Biden is trying to thaw frosty relations with Beijing. AFP via Getty Images
Despite describing Xi as a “dictator,” Biden emphasized his desire to manage the rivalry between the two powers.
Top officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, have all made trips to China in recent months.
There have been several flashpoints in US-China relations in the past year, including a spy balloon floating in US airspace in late January and early February, the discovery of a Chinese spy facility in Cuba, and the hacking of government email accounts by Beijing-linked actors.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
