Chinese authorities are ready to take back their citizens from the United States after US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions on some countries if they do not cooperate in accepting deportees, Reuters reported on Monday.
In recent months, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has sent five charter flights to China carrying hundreds of Chinese citizens who have no legal right to remain in the US.
However, US Department of Homeland Security officials are unhappy with Beijing's long-standing refusal to cooperate in repatriation - refusing to issue travel documents.
The department has warned of escalating consequences for Chinese officials, including visa sanctions, for refusing to accept tens of thousands of Chinese citizens into the US with deportation orders.
"We have conducted practical cooperation with the immigration and law enforcement departments of the United States and other countries, which has been productive, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing. "As for repatriation, China's principle is to accept repatriates who are confirmed as Chinese citizens from the Chinese mainland after verification," Mao said when asked if China would accept back Chinese citizens who are in the United States without documents.
As a reminder, on his first day in office last week, Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency, tasking the U.S. military to help secure the border, issuing a broad ban on asylum and taking steps to limit citizenship for children born on American soil.
The president said these steps were necessary after millions of immigrants entered the United States under the Biden administration, both illegally and through Biden's legal entry programs.
"We expect all countries to accept the repatriation of their citizens who are in the United States illegally," said White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes when asked about the China's remarks.
The number of Chinese citizens crossing the southern U.S. border without authorization has grown in recent years from a handful to tens of thousands as U.S. visas have become harder to obtain due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Trump has threatened Colombia with tariffs and sanctions to punish it for earlier refusing to accept military flights carrying deportees. The White House said Sunday that he would not impose the sanctions he had threatened because the South American country had agreed to take the migrants.
Trump also said he was considering imposing a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 to force further action against illegal immigration and fentanyl flowing into the United States.