Washington/Beijing, February 19, 2025 – The United States is reportedly preparing to reduce the size of its diplomatic mission in China by as much as 10%, according to the South China Morning Post.
The move, which could affect American diplomats stationed in mainland China and Hong Kong—as well as local employees—is said to be unprecedented, with affected staff expected to receive notice as early as Friday.
The proposed downsizing would impact the U.S. Embassy in Beijing along with consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Wuhan, as well as the consulate in Hong Kong. While it remains unclear whether those laid off might be reassigned to other diplomatic posts, the reports indicate that layoffs are a likely outcome.
Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the leadership of the mission in China had sent a message to embassy staff refuting the SCMP report. Embassy spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the U.S. State Department also declined to comment on the matter.
This potential cut is part of a broader effort under President Donald Trump’s administration to overhaul the U.S. diplomatic corps. Last week, similar staff reductions were reportedly requested at U.S. embassies worldwide as the administration seeks to trim spending deemed wasteful by Trump and his ally, billionaire Elon Musk.
The U.S. diplomatic mission in China is one of the largest in the world, with more than 1,300 American and locally hired staff representing nearly 50 federal agencies operating out of a 10-acre complex in Beijing. Any significant reduction in this workforce could have far-reaching implications for U.S.-China relations and the ability of the embassy to manage its extensive portfolio in the region.
The decision, if implemented, underscores the Trump administration's continuing efforts to streamline U.S. government operations amid ongoing budgetary and strategic challenges.
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The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
The United States has ordered non-emergency government personnel and their families to leave several Middle Eastern nations, including Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan.
The United States and Israel have carried out large-scale strikes on Iranian leadership and military targets, with Iranian state media confirming that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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