BEIJING, CHINA – Despite Facebook being blocked in China, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing confirmed this week that they have launched a page for its American Citizen Services (ACS). On this page, Americans traveling or residing in China can find information about the services ACS Beijing offers, hours of operation, location, and miscellaneous updates from the Department of State.
Facebook and Twitter have both been locked in China for one year. Dubbed “The Great Firewall of China,” the Chinese government routinely interrupts access to web content that it finds objectionable. Others contend that China isn’t really blocking content out of political purposes but rather commercial ones.
Internet users in China complained on blogs and news websites about losing access to the services. Some foreign residents in China said they used the sites for commercial purposes and others said it was their primary method of staying in contact with family and friends. However, the Chinese government has regularly emphasized domestic security over economic development. A few months before the Olympics in 2008, the government radically altered its visa policies and many long-term foreign residents were booted out of the country. Likewise, business interests who had traveled to the country for many years were denied visas. The policies were relaxed a few months after the conclusion of the games.
The U.S. Ambassador to China is Jon M. Huntsman. Under the Obama administration, the U.S. Embassy in China has been quite active in promoting outreach services to area beyond China's big cities.
The U.S. has six diplomatic installations in mainland China, including the embassy in Beijing that is the largest operating U.S. Embassy anywhere in the world. The U.S. operates consulates in the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Wuhan.
The Consular section provides a variety of services for American citizens. The American Citizen's Services section assists people with passport renewal, registration of Americans living in China, birth reports for children of American citizens born in China, voter registration, income tax forms, notarial services and emergency services to American citizens. The Federal Benefits Unit assists people with questions regarding Social Security and other federal benefits.
U.S. Embassy Beijing Facebook Page
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