TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. State Department is reversing “assignment restrictions” which disadvantage U.S. diplomats of Asian descent, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday (March 22).

In the past, the U.S. State Department prevented employees from working in countries where they have family or financial ties, due to concerns over loyalty or susceptibility to “foreign influence.” Blinken wrote to employees on Wednesday, “I’m pleased to share that after a rigorous review, I have decided that the Department will end its practice as a condition placed on a security clearance.”

The long-standing policy, known as “assignment restrictions,” disproportionately impacted Asian Americans. The restrictions stunted the careers of many Asian American diplomats, according to Politico.

Taipei-born U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu said the previous restrictions send “the false message that people who look like me are more disloyal.” Lieu said that U.S. diplomatic discrimination and the recent rise in anti-Asian violence convey the same issue: The inability of the U.S. government and some people to distinguish between a “foreign government” and “Americans of Asian descent.”

In 2021, over 100 Asian Americans working in national security signed a statement calling out “discrimination, and blatant accusations of disloyalty.” U.S. leaders, wary of China, at times improperly conflate Chinese people with the Chinese government, but prejudice is not limited to Chinese Americans, Politico cited an official as saying.

The signatories noted that Asian Americans working in national security were treated “with a broad stroke of suspicion,” “simply because of the way we look.”

“This is not to dismiss credible counterintelligence concerns as evidenced through indictments of U.S. citizens — some of whom are White — spying for China,” the letter clarified. However, the signatories argued that Asian Americans are “intrinsic to the fabric of American society,” and Chinese Americans are the U.S.’ “greatest asset” in furthering nuanced understanding and uniquely countering Chinese economic, military, and political aggression.

According to the Department of State, around 1,800 employees are currently subject to assignment restrictions. The top four countries to which the restrictions apply are China (196), Russia (184), Taiwan (84), and Israel (70).

America is limiting its diplomatic capabilities, according to Lieu. The fundamental issue remains that Asian Americans continue to be seen as foreigners by some Americans, including at the State Department, several diplomats told Politico.

Blinken, who has pledged to support diversity, said the recent policy change allows the U.S. to “unlock the full potential of our workforce while upholding the highest standards of security.”