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A US border patrol agent searches a migrant from China as he surrenders after crossing the into the United States from Mexico in April 2023. Photo: Reuters
ChinaDiplomacy

China signals it will help US tackle illegal migration after halting cooperation in 2022

  • Chinese embassy says Beijing is open to talks on repatriation of illegal immigrants following suspension in aftermath of Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit
  • More than 37,000 Chinese nationals were arrested at southern US border in 2023 – 10 times the number a year earlier
US-China relations
Dewey Sim
Dewey Sim
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China said on Monday it was “open” to working with the United States to clamp down on cross-border smuggling and the repatriation of illegal Chinese immigrants, in a possible nod to reviving cooperation.

The Chinese embassy in the US said China “firmly opposed” illegal immigration and its law enforcement departments had cracked down “hard” on such crimes while maintaining a “high pressure” against smuggling organisations.

“Chinese law enforcement agencies have regular cooperation with relevant countries to jointly tackle cross-border smuggling activities, repatriate illegal immigrants and maintain the order of international flow of people,” the embassy said in a statement.

“It should be noted that the issue of illegal immigration is an international one that requires international cooperation.”

Beijing has signalled it is open to resuming cooperation on illegal migration, months after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in California last November. Photo: AFP

The statement was a response to a question posted on the embassy website about an earlier Chinese comment that US media and politicians had been “hyping up” the issue of illegal Chinese immigrants in country and Beijing’s actions to tackle the problem.

China firmly opposed US media and politicians “using the issue as a pretext to smear and scapegoat China”, the embassy said.

“China is open to collaboration with the United States on the repatriation of illegal immigrants. But the United States needs to demonstrate sincerity, pay reciprocal attention to China’s concerns and create a proper atmosphere for cooperation.”
In August 2022, China halted various forms of cooperation with the US, including cooperation on deporting illegal Chinese immigrants, following a controversial visit by then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which had soured relations dramatically.
Since a meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in San Francisco in November, the two countries have sought to improve ties and restore high-level engagement.

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Xi Jinping, Joe Biden hold talks on sidelines of Apec summit to ease strained US-China ties

Xi Jinping, Joe Biden hold talks on sidelines of Apec summit to ease strained US-China ties

Military-to-military communication, alongside dialogue in fields such as climate change and trade, have since resumed.

On Tuesday, officials from both countries were set to hold their first discussions on artificial intelligence, including the issues of global governance and risks of the technology.

Associated Press reported last week that China had “quietly resumed” cooperation on the deportation of Chinese nationals who were in the US illegally amid a spike in illegal immigrants entering the country from Mexico.

According to the report, US border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on its southern border in 2023 – 10 times the number recorded a year earlier.

The report quoted China’s foreign ministry as saying that Beijing was “willing to maintain dialogue and cooperation in the area of immigrant enforcement in the US” and would accept the deportation of those whose Chinese nationality has been verified.

The US cannot send back Chinese immigrants who have no legal status to stay in the country without the cooperation of the Chinese government.

US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told NBC News this month that he had raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart in February and that the two countries were holding high-level discussions to ramp up on the deportation of illegal Chinese immigrants.

The report, citing American officials, said China had been “uncooperative” when it came to repatriating Chinese citizens back to the mainland.

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