#Beijing’s new threat to take Americans hostages

Once again, the Chinese Communist Party is showing the world its true colors — by threatening to take Americans hostage if Washington doesn’t stop cracking down on Beijing’s US espionage operation.

China is pushing the US Justice Department to drop its prosecution of at least five Chinese scientists arrested this year for failing to disclose their military connections, The Wall Street Journal reported. They stand charged with visa fraud for allegedly lying to US immigration authorities about their active-duty statuses with China’s People’s Liberation Army.

While the scientists were working at US universities, American officials say, they were coordinating with Chinese diplomats to steal cutting-edge research — a key reason Washington in July ordered the shutdown of Beijing’s consulate in Houston and the departure of all Chinese scientists with military ties.

In recent years, Chinese authorities have issued trumped-up charges against Canadian, Swedish and Australian citizens in similar games. So far, Beijing hasn’t gone after any Americans — but the State Department’s advisory against travel to China now cites the risk of becoming a hostage as China tries “to gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments.”

Watch out for this next perilous escalation of Beijing’s growing alienation from the civilized world.