China criticises US diplomats ‘seeking exit’

Bloomberg

Beijing said a US bid to let its diplomats exit China during the pandemic defied logic, after reports emerged American embassy officials were worried about the country’s tightening epidemic measures.
“We find it difficult to understand the logic behind the US decision, which cannot be justified,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday at a regular news briefing in Beijing. China had expressed “concern and dissatisfaction” to the US, and hoped the embassy would reconsider the action, he added.
The US diplomatic mission asked the State Department to give diplomats an “authorized departure,” which would allow employees and their families to vacate their posts until they feel safe to return, CNN reported earlier Wednesday citing two people familiar with the matter. The Communist Party’s Global Times newspaper called the move a “dirty trick” designed “to create panic” and slander China’s anti-epidemic efforts as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics next week.
Some diplomats feared that the contagious omicron variant would strain China’s health care system and prompt measures that could separate parents from their children, the network reported citing a US diplomatic source familiar with the discussions. The request had not yet been approved, CNN said, adding that the mission’s internal polling suggested that 10% to 15% of its some 1,000 personnel might leave.