Diplomats were expelled for espionage. According to the American side, the citizens of China managed to infiltrate the territory of the military base near the city of Norfolk in Virginia. Washington considers one of the exiled diplomats to be an intelligence officer working under diplomatic cover.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the accusation brought by the American side a serious distortion of the facts. Foreign Minister Gen Shuang emphasizes that the United States must abide by the Vienna Convention and protect the rights of Chinese diplomats.