No explanation has yet been found for a U.S. government employee's report of abnormal sensations of sound and pressure, China said Thursday, as the incident in southern Guangzhou city recalled the experiences of illness-stricken American diplomats in Cuba.
"China is already conducting a careful investigation, and we have already given the U.S. preliminary feedback," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said during a regular news briefing.
FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2009 file photo, security workers guard at construction site of the U.S. Consulate compound in Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong province. The State Department said an email notice Wednesday, May 23, 2018, that a U.S. government employee in southern China reported abnormal sensations of sound and pressure, recalling similar experiences among American diplomats in Cuba who later fell ill. (Chinatopix via AP, File)
"At this point, we have not yet found any reason or clue leading to the situation described by the U.S.," Lu said, adding that China adheres to the Vienna Convention on protecting foreign diplomats.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday that when the U.S. informed China of the incident in Guangzhou, "They said all the right things and have demonstrated their willingness to help us identify the vector which led to this medical incident."
The State Department has dispatched a medical team to Guangzhou, where "subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure" were reported by an American government worker.
The department said Thursday that it is aware of only one employee who has been affected and that there have been no reports of private U.S. citizens experiencing the phenomena.
Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the American employee had shown clinical findings similar to patients with mild traumatic brain injury, known commonly as a concussion.
The worker, who has been sent to the U.S. for additional testing, experienced "a variety of symptoms" from late 2017 through April, Nauert said Wednesday.
FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, an American flag is flown next to the Chinese national emblem during a welcome ceremony for visiting U.S. President Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
The Chinese state-owned Global Times newspaper said in an editorial Thursday that the investigation into the U.S. government employee's condition should be "objective." The newspaper said it was "inappropriate" for the U.S. to connect the incident with what American diplomats underwent in Cuba.
"It is completely unthinkable for there to be medical attacks launched against foreigners, particularly diplomats, in China," the Global Times said.
"A sonic attack especially requires exceptional imagination," the commentary said, asking, "What sort of 'profit' would make it worthwhile for China to take such a risk?"
On Wednesday, Pompeo told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the medical indications of the Guangzhou incident "are very similar and entirely consistent with the medical indications of the Americans working in Havana."
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who met Wednesday with Pompeo in Washington and then addressed a joint news conference, said China hasn't found any organization or individual responsible for "such a sonic influence."
"We don't want to see this individual case magnified, complicated or even politicized," Wang said.
Pompeo commended China's response and said it has offered to assist the U.S. in investigating.
Last October, the State Department ordered non-essential embassy personnel and the families of all staff to leave Havana after at least 24 Americans experienced a range of mysterious ailments, often after hearing an unusual sound.
While the symptoms and sensations have varied from person to person, some have permanent hearing loss or concussions, while others have struggled with nausea, headaches, concentration and common word recall.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.
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TOP STORIES
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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES
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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
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RUSSIA-KREMLIN-SHAKE-UP — Over the weekend, President Vladimir Putin replaced Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu — the longest serving member of his Cabinet at 11 1/2 years — in a rare Kremlin shake-up that came even as a Russian offensive in Ukraine is making gains. SENT: 1,160 words, photos, video, audio.
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MORE NEWS
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NATIONAL
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INTERNATIONAL
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BUSINESS
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AUTOMATED-VEHICLES-INVESTIGATIONS — The U.S. government’s highway safety agency has opened another investigation of automated driving systems, this time into crashes involving Waymo’s self-driving vehicles. SENT: 270 words.
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SPORTS
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FEVER-CLARK — Caitlin Clark’s much anticipated WNBA debut is set for Tuesday night in Connecticut. The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft is coming off a record-setting college career at Iowa. Even before playing a game, Clark has already left her mark in the pros. The draft had record viewership and her No. 22 jerseys have been flying off the shelves. SENT: 260 words, photos. Will be updated. With WNBA SEASON-THINGS TO KNOW — SENT.
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Handler Willy Santiago competes with Afghan Hound Zaida during breed group judging at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Monday, May 13, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gather to greet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshow in Varanasi, India, Monday, May 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar)
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Former President Donald Trump sits in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Mark Peterson/New York Magazine via AP, Pool)
From left, Said Fadel, Samir al Borno, Abood Qassim, Rahaf Shamaly, Ahmed Haddad, Fares Anbar and Hamada Nasrallah of the Gaza Strip-based Sol Band pose for a photograph in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Lujain Jo)
People watch smoke rising to the sky after an explosion in the Gaza Strip during the Israel's annual Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of nationalistic attacks, as they visit a sightseeing area in Sderot, Southern Israel, Monday, May 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on a residential building of the Karaja family in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, early Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)
