US declares China travel safer but Trump era brings uncertainty

Washington’s decision to ease its travel warning for China removes an obstacle to exchanges of people between the world’s two largest economies but will likely face new scrutiny once Donald Trump returns to the White House. The US Department of State announced a shift in its advisory for the Asian nation by reducing it from Level 3 — “reconsider travel” — to Level 2, which asks people to “exercise increased caution.” The downgrade on Wednesday means the US travel warning for China matches the designation for countries like France, Germany and India. The American Chamber of Commerce in China hailed it as an “excellent development” that will help ease tensions while opening more travel from the US to China. “The Level 3 advisory has served to curtail both business travel, student visits and scholarly exchanges, which are essential for fostering more clear mutual understanding and are vital to healthy normal bilateral relations,” said Roberta Lipson, AmCham China chair. The announcement coincided with news of a prisoner swap between China and the US that saw the release of three Americans. But the practical impact of the updated travel warning could be negligible and possibly short-lived, with restrictions on flights into the US still in effect and a looming Trump presidency threatening to upend ties again.<br/>