China has recently been on an ‘alert frenzy,’ warning their citizens from young college students to middle-aged tourists to be cautious when traveling to and studying in the United States, with some speculating that the warnings are a result of the ongoing trade war.

On June 3, China’s Ministry of Education issued a warning for Chinese students studying abroad in the US, reminding them to consider the risks before enrolling in US universities. The ministry cited an extended review process, shortened validity period and increased rejection rate as reasons for the recent announcement, according to Xinhua.

The following day, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that they had issued a travel alert for any Chinese travelers planning on heading across the Pacific. The travel alert is said to be in effect until December 31, 2019, and notes the frequent occurrence of shootings, robberies and theft in the US as a cause for concern, warning Chinese tourists to do their research before boarding the plane.

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-run newspaper Global Times, posted on Twitter that the study warning is “a response to recent series of discriminatory measures the US took against Chinese students and can also be seen as a response to the US-initiated trade war.”

The alerts by the two Chinese ministries come days after the US requested visa applicants to provide their social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used over the last five years. The new policy is said to cover nearly all visa applicants.

While this isn’t the first time that Beijing has issued a US travel alert, the student warning is considered a rarity for the ministry, as the alert is generally issued for a specific university rather than a whole country.

READ MORE: China Issues US Travel Alert Warning of Guns, High Medical Bills

[Cover image via Pixabay]

