Following a report in the NY Times that the United States is considering banning members of the Chinese Communist Party from entering the U.S., a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that "if [the report] is true, I think that it is utterly pathetic."
The BBC reports that Hua Chunying then added that, "We know that some in the US are oppressing China and bullying China. As an independent sovereign state, China must respond to the bullying practices and we must say no, we must ... take reactive moves to it."
Foreign policy experts have said that if the United States imposes a ban, it would almost certainly lead to China taking retaliatory action against Americans in China.
Around seven percent of the Chinese population - equivalent to approximately 92 million people - belong to the CCP. Membership is essential for anyone who has career ambitions in China, in almost all fields.