20 Chinese scholars bound for academic conference with valid visa denied entry into US: Beijing

About 20 Chinese scholars were denied entry to the US while traveling to attend an academic conference, Beijing said Thursday.

The scholars held valid visas but were subjected to what was described as unreasonable questioning by US Customs and Border Protection officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the state-run Global Times.

China’s Foreign Ministry, along with its embassy and consulates in the US, issued a notice Thursday advising Chinese nationals planning to travel to the US to be aware of potential risks and to avoid entering through that airport, citing what it called successive incidents of "malicious questioning and harassment" targeting Chinese scholars.

Travelers were also urged to review US entry regulations in advance, prepare accordingly, and remain calm and respond rationally if questioned by law enforcement officers.

In March, Beijing called on Washington to conduct a detailed investigation after a Chinese postdoctoral scholar died by suicide a day after being subjected to what it described as "hostile questioning" by US authorities.