China’s education ministry on Monday urged students and scholars planning to visit the United States to more carefully evaluate the associated risks, state media said, as tension between the two countries escalates.

In a report, state television also quoted the ministry as saying rejections of visa applications by Chinese nationals had increased.

Hu Xijin, editor of the widely read Chinese newspaper the Global Times, linked the warning to recent discrimination against students and the trade dispute.

Last year, China’s embassy in Washington issued a security advisory to Chinese nationals travelling to the US, warning tourists to be aware of issues including expensive medical bills, the threat of public shootings and robberies, and searches and seizures by customs agents.

Via CNA