US secretly expelled two Chinese diplomats, report says

15 December 2019, 4:53 pm

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The United States secretly expelled two Chinese embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia, The New York Times reports Sunday.

The newspaper, which cites people with knowledge of the episode, says it appeared to be the first time in more than 30 years that the US has expelled Chinese diplomats on suspicion of espionage.

At least one of the diplomats was believed to be an intelligence officer operating under cover, the Times says.

The Times says the diplomats, accompanied by their wives, drove up to the checkpoint at the entrance to a sensitive installation near Norfolk, Virginia, that includes special operations forces.

— AP