US embassy’s Chinese social media accounts fall silent amid government shutdown
The US embassy in China has stopped posting regular updates to its official social media accounts as a result of the government shutdown. This triggered a wave of discussion among social media users, many of whom used the occasion to take potshots at the American political system. “Because of the lapse in appropriations, this account…
This triggered a wave of discussion among social media users, many of whom used the occasion to take potshots at the American political system.
“Because of the lapse in appropriations, this account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information,” the embassy accounts on Chinese and US platforms said.
The posts added that scheduled passport and visa services would continue “as the situation permits”.
Other US diplomatic missions posted similar messages.
The government shutdown, which began on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, led to the suspension of all non-essential services and saw an estimated 750,000 federal employees furloughed without pay.
The comment sections of the US embassy accounts on Chinese platforms attracted thousands of replies, mostly ironic reflections on American politics and values.
