US Diplomat Terminated for Undisclosed Relationship with Chinese National Linked to Communist Party

The State Department announced the termination of a Foreign Service officer who failed to disclose a romantic relationship with a Chinese national.

The Trump administration confirmed on Wednesday that it dismissed a State Department employee for concealing a relationship with a Chinese citizen.

"The State Department has officially terminated the employment of a Foreign Service officer who admitted concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party," stated State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Officials did not identify the male officer but revealed that he acknowledged on camera that his partner "could have been a spy," though no confirmation of espionage was provided.

According to the State Department, the dismissed employee described his partner's father as "straight-up communist party."

In China's population of over a billion, the Chinese Communist Party has significant influence across business and education sectors, with many citizens maintaining party connections for practical reasons rather than ideological ones.

The State Department indicated this was the first known dismissal under Trump's recent executive order requiring all employees to "faithfully implement the president's policy."

"We will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country's national security," Pigott emphasized.

Earlier this year, the United States implemented restrictions prohibiting employees stationed in China from entering romantic relationships with local citizens, a measure reminiscent of Cold War policies.