China expressed strong dissatisfaction with the US decision to collect fingerprints of non-immigrant visa applicants from China and warned of reciprocal measures if the United States does not abandon this discriminatory measure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on March 23 that the US move to fingerprint non-immigrant visa applicants is discrimination against Chinese citizens and infringes upon their dignity and personal privacy.
Beginning on January 5 this year, the United States began to implement its US-VISIT program at 115 airports and 14 seaports in the name of homeland security. Foreign visitors arriving with visas are required to have their travel documents scanned, their fingerprints and photos taken and their identification checked against terrorist watch lists under the program.
Children under 14, seniors over 79 and government officials as well as their spouses who hold diplomatic and business passports are not required to go through the fingerprinting and photographing procedures.
Visitors from Canada and 27 other countries that enjoy the privilege of visa-free treatment are not subjected to this program.
The US Embassy to China started to collect fingerprints of non-immigrant visa applicants on March 22. The move immediately aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people.
The Foreign Ministry announced that officials from the ministry, the Chinese embassy and consulates to the United States have lodged serious protests with the United States, pointing out that the measure is a violation of human rights, and urged the US to waive the fingerprinting requirement for Chinese citizens.
The US claims this is a worldwide measure for homeland security, but its practice of waiving the fingerprinting requirement for citizens from 28 countries contradicts this explanation.
China finds this discrimination unacceptable.
The ministry urged the US to abandon the measure as soon as possible, and warned that China reserves the right to lodge further protests and to take reciprocal measures.
(China Daily March 24, 2004)
