China demands loyalty from young citizens in US

China is demanding acts of loyalty from its young professionals living and working in the US, sometimes putting them at odds with local law and immigration requirements, as it seeks more control over expatriates amid rising tensions between the two countries.

The demands are increasingly being placed on Chinese nationals who joined the country’s Communist party as students or young professionals before they left home, in the hopes of career advancement once they eventually return.

By some estimates, at least 10,000 members of the party are studying or working in the US. This is a small fraction of its 5.4mn Chinese diaspora but many are in top roles at leading universities and corporations in the technology and finance sectors.

The directives have included participating in webinars during which they are coached to promote China’s image in front of their American peers, paying membership dues to the Communist party, studying political material sent from China and checking in with party officials to ensure their continued loyalty, according to interviews and documents obtained by the Financial Times.