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China Calls US Expulsions a 'Mistake'

VOA News

   China on Monday urged the United States to correct its "mistake" of
   expelling Chinese officials.

   Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said U.S. accusations against
   the officials went against the facts and that the United States needs
   to properly protect the rights of diplomats.

   Geng spoke to reporters in response to questions about a New York Times
   report that said the United States secretly expelled two Chinese
   officials after they drove onto a military base in the state of
   Virginia.

   The report, citing people with knowledge of the situation, said the
   incident took place in late September with the two officers and their
   wives driving to a base checkpoint, then being told to go through the
   gate so they could turn around and exit. The officials instead
   continued further into the base and were stopped only when they reached
   a road blocked by fire trucks.

   The Times said the officials, at least one of them an intelligence
   officer, explained they had misunderstood the instructions to turn
   around at the gate and had become lost.

   The report said U.S. officials dismissed that explanation, and viewed
   the incident as a potential test of the base's security.