WASHINGTON - The United States is set to cut the size of its diplomatic mission in China by up to 10 per cent, the South China Morning Post reported on Feb 19, citing people familiar with the situation.

American diplomats working in mainland China and Hong Kong as well as local employees might be given notice as early as Feb 21 in a round of downsizing that the media outlet described as unprecedented.

The cuts would affect the embassy in Beijing and the consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang and Wuhan, as well as the consulate in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post said.

It was not clear whether any of those affected would be reassigned elsewhere in the diplomatic service, but layoffs are expected, it added.

President Donald Trump’s administration has asked US embassies worldwide to prepare for staff cuts, sources told Reuters last week, as part of the Republican president’s effort to overhaul the US diplomatic corps.

Mr Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk have been making efforts to cut US government spending that they consider wasteful since Trump took office on Jan 20.

The US State Department had no immediate comment.

The United States has a large diplomatic workforce in China and those in Beijing are located in a 4ha site consisting of six buildings, including a new annex completed in 2016.

According to the website of the US Embassy and Consulates in China, the Beijing embassy complex houses more than 1,300 American and locally-hired staff representing almost 50 different US federal agencies. REUTERS

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