American officials working in China have been reportedly subjected to a blanket non-fraternization policy

Washington has banned its diplomatic personnel in China, as well as their family members and contractors with security clearances, from engaging into any sort of "romantic and sexual relations" with Chinese citizens, AP reported on Thursday, citing four people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The policy was reportedly enacted by departing US Ambassador Nicholas Burns in January, days before US President Donald Trump took office. It expanded on a policy introduced last summer that prohibited staff at the US embassy and five consulates from engaging in intimate relations with Chinese guards and other supporting personnel.

The AP said it was not able to determine how exactly "romantic and sexual relations" were defined by the policy. The latest changes have effectively turned the policy into a blanket "non-fraternization" approach reminiscent of the Cold War era, the agency reported.

The change has been communicated verbally and through electronic mail to the staffers, but was never publicly announced, the sources said.

Only US personnel with pre-existing relations with Chinese nationals are subject to individually reviewed exemptions. Should an exemption be denied, they are obliged to end their relationship, the sources claimed. Anyone found in violation of the policy will be ordered to leave China and return home immediately.

Western intelligence agencies, particularly those of the US and the UK, have long warned diplomatic workers and private individuals alike against engaging in relationships with Chinese nationals. The intelligence services have repeatedly accused Beijing of running a vast "honey trap" spy network, composed primarily of attractive females, who allegedly target foreign nationals, engaging in long-term relationships with them and ultimately pressuring them into cooperation with Beijing.

While no solid evidence of such activities has ever been presented, China has repeatedly denied the allegations and accused Western intelligence services of merely projecting their own "disgraceful acts" onto the country.

(RT.com)