Kim Urges Rubio to Raise China Travel Advisory
Rep. Young Kim asks the State Department to move its China travel warning from Level 2 to Level 3 over wrongful detention risks.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in International Relations
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Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 29 urging the State Department to raise its China travel advisory from Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution," to Level 3, "Reconsider Travel." The request follows Kim's backing of a bipartisan House resolution condemning China's wrongful detention of Americans.
Why it matters
Kim argues the threat originates from the Chinese state itself rather than non-state actors, and that Beijing uses hostage diplomacy as leverage against the United States. A Level 3 designation would trigger a formal, semiannual review of China's travel status, directly affecting how Americans weigh travel decisions.
Congressional testimony from 2024 by Peter Humphrey estimated around 300 Americans were detained in China or under exit bans. Whether the State Department will adopt the proposed Level 3 advisory has not been announced.
The players
Young Kim
Republican U.S. Representative from California and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who has pressed the administration on American detentions in China.
Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State responsible for the State Department's travel advisory system, which he is being asked to revise for China.
The details
Kim's letter urges Rubio to upgrade China's advisory, which currently warns that Americans face serious risk of wrongful detention. In September, Kim also backed a bipartisan House resolution condemning Chinese detentions, and she introduced a companion resolution in the Senate.
Timeline
2024: Peter Humphrey testifies that an estimated 300 Americans are detained or exit-banned in China.
September: Kim backs a bipartisan House resolution condemning China's wrongful detention of Americans.
October 29: Kim sends her letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Political Context
Under the State Department's existing four-level advisory system, Kim's proposal would move China from Level 2 to Level 3, a step that elevates the warning from caution to reconsidering travel. Critics of the current framing argue Level 2 understates a risk that originates with state authorities rather than criminals.
If the State Department adopts a Level 3 advisory, Americans considering travel to China would face a formal warning to reconsider their trip, with the travel status reviewed semiannually. Travelers already in or planning to visit China would have a clearer signal of the detention risk they face.
The takeaway
Americans weighing travel to China should watch whether the State Department acts on this request, since a Level 3 advisory would formally signal a serious detention risk. Checking current travel advisories before booking is a practical step regardless of the outcome.
Further reading
Explore more on International Relations to see how U.S. travel warnings fit into the broader diplomatic relationship with Beijing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Theepochtimes.
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