Travel advisory issued by US does not hold water: China

The China travel advisory issued by the United States does not hold water, said a spokesman of China's ministry of foreign affairs on Friday.

The spokesman, Lu Kang, made the remarks when commenting on the renewed travel advisory by the US State Department earlier on Thursday. The advisory says that US citizens must exercise caution against China's use of "exit ban" that would prohibit US citizens from leaving China.

Lu said that China always welcomes foreign citizens, including those of the United States, to visit China and protects by law their safety and legitimate rights and interests in China, including the freedom of entry and exit.

"We hope that foreign citizens in China respect and abide by Chinese laws," Lu said.

"Here, I would like to point out that, China's judicial organs have always adhered to justice and law in handling cases involving foreign citizens suspected of law violations and crimes and protect them by law all their legitimate rights and interests. The travel advisory issued by the United States, frankly speaking, does not hold water. The number of US citizens coming to China in the first 11 months of this year reached 2.30 million, averaging 70 per 10,000, far more than Chinese visiting the United States. The figures are somehow convincing as to whether it is safe or not in China," Lu said.

Lu said:"The United States has, in recent years, by crook or by hook, set up obstacles to the entry of Chinese citizens and conduct unwarranted inspections. This is what the United States should pay attention to and correct. We hope that the United States would do more things that are conducive to the exchange and mutual trust between the people of the two countries but not the opposite."