tiny lemmy 

US bans government personnel in China from romantic or sexual relations with Chinese citizens

c/world · u/cybersin@lemm.ee · 283 points

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Comments

u/tiredofsametab@fedia.io · 1 points

... And that has what to do with this? Lock those assholes up and throw away the key, but completely unrelated.

u/perestroika@lemm.ee · 1 points

Personnel is plural. I notice that you also use plural for "minors". So, do you know of more occurrences? Edit: found them. One was in 1995, one was in 2016. The latest was in 2024:

US serviceman sentenced to 5 years for kidnapping and raping Japanese schoolgirl, officials say

Needless to say, "enjoying nightlife" is one thing, while "kidnapping and raping" is a totally different thing. If one person turns to violent crime - does it follow that others should not enjoy nightlife any more?

However, the article behind the title link is not at all about military personnel in Japan. It's about diplomats and embassy personnel in China.

u/answersplease77@lemmy.world · 0 points

Here are US military personnels raping minors in Japan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uli7AmqNBYk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-whHBGBHaY

u/Kiwi_fella@lemmy.world · 6 points

I met some American military personnel in a bar in Singapore. It wasn't on a military base. Their dates looked a lot older than 18.

u/Wanpieserino@lemm.ee · 1 points

When problems arise, and it becomes clear that the person had sexual or romantic relationship with a Chinese citizen, then that is ground for getting fired or whatever.

View it as an insurance policy. If nothing bad happens, then it doesn't matter. But you use it for when shit hits the fan.

People still drive under influence of alcohol, but less people do so when they know the rules beforehand.

Likely more effective on newer generations that do not have to unlearn habits.

u/Wilco@lemm.ee · 12 points

The forbidden love. Shit, now everyone will want to get one of those Chinese spy-wives.

u/ploot@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 19 points

They expect single Americans everywhere to be celibate. Except themselves, because that's different.

u/Nasan@sopuli.xyz · 2 points

That janitor at the US consulate? 50 confirmed kills. 45 of them house pets.

u/belastend@slrpnk.net · 3 points

No, every person American employs outside of the US is a bad, counterrevolutionary, child eating spy. Now face the wall comrade, we found out you spoke english that one.

u/Renohren@lemmy.today · 2 points

Good reason, they were just born in the wrong country to have the James Bond experience, they should have watched Homeland.

u/Nasan@sopuli.xyz · 1 points

What they don't mention in the movies is how many of those women he got pregnant and had to pay child support to(except Craig Bond). I suppose he was enough of a blunt instrument that they didn't have to worry about him getting blackmailed or otherwise selling state secrets because they never really gave him intel of much value.

u/Dubiousx99@lemmy.world · 55 points

The headlines leave out the part where this is a requirement of their security clearance. It is not uncommon for those holding a security clearance to be discouraged or prohibited from relationships with foreign nationals. It also isn’t a direct prohibition, it would just result in a loss of their clearance, and you are absolutely correct that this will result in more leverage against US personnel.

u/vk6flab@lemmy.radio · 24 points

Overtones of Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Mk II, next it will be for all Government employees .. nah that would never happen .. right .. right?

u/Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works · 140 points

People being incentivised to keep these relationships secret just gives even more leverage to the CCP if they successfully use this as an espionage tactic. I assume that's what this is meant to guard against but surely it would have the opposite effect wouldn't it?

u/TheFriar@lemm.ee · 92 points

“US govt makes employees affairs hotter and more alluring. More at 11.”

u/TheBat@lemmy.world · 47 points

Bond movies told me one of the reasons why people get into this job is to have affairs with people from different countries.

u/Akasazh@feddit.nl · 8 points

Inb4 Chinese spies cleverly pretending to be from other Asian countries.

u/Dead_or_Alive@lemmy.world · 5 points

I mean if top US officials can drop top secret battle plans on a chat with a journalist and get away with it.

Why can’t a low level government employee wet their wick in a Chinese honeypot every once in a while. I just don’t see the point.

u/perestroika@lemm.ee · 2 points

A bit harsh, but I understand the reasoning.

Diplomats know it by heart, night and day - to recruit a person, you need to know what they're vulnerable to and what moves them. Can they be manipulated with greed, shame, ambition, even their sense of justice or compassion? If you know, you can plan your steps towards obtaining their assistance - either in a single case or permanently.

People living in a foreign land are uniquely vulnerable to loneliness, so attracting their romantic interest is an age-old method.

It works domestically too - for example in the UK, a dozen cases are known where undercover cops have befriended activists and even had children with them. If it's not beyond the law enforcement of a democratically elected government, it is absolutely within the methods (and perhaps a preferred method) of an authoritarian government which cares less about people's rights.

Perhaps for this reason, diplomats often bring families along, as to not have issues of loneliness or temptation, since they live abroad for most of their careers. Ordinary embassy workers probably get a short lecture. First about honey traps, secondly about serious pressure from the local government that may target any of their genuine romantic relations. Basing on this, they would be expected to manage their risk. Apparently, someone decided they cannot handle it.

Has China stepped up efforts to recruit embassy workers? Maybe... but that's probably confidential. Alternatively, someone just got extra worried. This kind of policy changes would benefit from a bit of transparency, e.g. some three letter agency writing in their journal that "we detected a 200% rise in recruitment efforts".

u/answersplease77@lemmy.world · -7 points

In many American military bases around the world, they disallow their personnel to engage in nightlife outside their base and hand-pick prostitues for them who are hardly 18 and don't speak a single english word. you can look up their storis and testimonies on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7RXdo0_ZBY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MafmChnRiSI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnrVGsvPDRo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt42t8gJORI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA5mBqqZglg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2rbMOHzVS8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-whHBGBHaY