SEATTLE, Washington: The Chinese government is asking travelers to avoid entering the United States through Seattle, citing a pattern of continual harassment by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.

Around 20 Chinese scholars with visas recently arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to attend an academic conference, but China's consular affairs office said they were "unreasonably inspected" by U.S. border officials and denied entry.

Requests for more details were sent on April 16 to U.S. officials, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and its consulate in San Francisco.

The statement said Chinese scholars have repeatedly been troubled at airports, so China's foreign ministry and embassy advised citizens planning to visit the U.S. to stay cautious and, if possible, avoid using Seattle airport.

The ministry also told travelers to learn U.S. entry rules in advance and be prepared. It advised that if questioned by U.S. officials, they should remain calm and act sensibly.

According to the Pew Research Center, Seattle had about 166,000 Chinese residents in 2019, making it the sixth-largest U.S. metro area for the Chinese population.