2019年10月17日
中国星期四（10月17日）表示，9月下旬被刑事拘留的两名美国公民已经获得保释，正在等待接受审判，对他们的指控是涉嫌非法组织他人偷越边境。
中国外交部发言人耿爽在当天的例行记者会上说，艾丽莎·彼得森（Alyssa Peterson）和 雅各布·哈兰（Jacob Harlan）“因涉嫌组织他人偷越国（边）境，于9月27日、29日被江苏省公安机关依法分别采取刑事拘留、取保候审强制措施“。
耿爽还说，“办案机关已经及时地将有关情况通报美国驻上海总领馆，安排美方领事官员进行领事探视，并依法保障两人的合法权益”。
耿爽否认两名美国公民被拘留跟当前的美中关系有任何关联。他说：“我没有看出这件事跟目前的中美关系有什么联系。”
艾丽莎和雅各布被拘留之前在美国教育公司China Horizons 工作。 China Horizons 是一家总部在美国爱达荷州的英语教师中介机构。路透社10月17日的消息说，这家公司上星期在社交媒体上发帖称，该公司在中国经营已有17年，并说对艾丽莎和雅各布的指控是“虚假的”。
在北京的美国驻中国使馆表示，他们知道两名美国公民被拘留。路透社报道，使馆发言人星期四表示：“我们认真履行帮助海外美国公民的责任，并正在关注局势。”
中国过去一年加强了对签证文件的审查，外国人必须持有学士学位才能获得工作签证，尽管这一规定并没有得到广泛执行。
彼得森和雅各布在China Horizons社交媒体网站上发布的众筹页面上提到，他们帮助美国大学生获得了在中国教英语的签证。
China Horizons 在社交媒体发文称，由于美中之间不断增加的经济和政治问题，公司再也不能安全地向中国派遣教师。公司计划在10月底之前关闭业务。
附;
Two Americans held in China accused of illegally moving people across country borders
Two American citizens have been detained in China on “bogus” charges of illegally moving people across country borders — and they could end up imprisoned there “for the next few months or years,” a U.S.-based educational organization is warning.Jacob Harlan and Alyssa Petersen of China Horizons were arrested in the eastern province of Jiangsu in late September, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang announced Thursday. They are suspected of organizing others to illegally cross the border, a crime the Associated Press says carries a minimum sentence of two years, with punishment as severe as life imprisonment under certain circumstances. “Because of the changes that are taking place in China right now, [China Horizons’] owner, Jacob Harlan, and the director, Alyssa Petersen, have been detained in China for 13 days now and may be so for the next few months or years,” the Idaho-based organization – which helps place English teachers in Chinese schools – posted on its Facebook page last Friday. Jacob Harlan, left, and Alyssa Petersen, of the U.S.-based educational organization China Horizons, have been arrested in China. (Facebook/GoFundMe) “They are being charged for bogus crimes and their families are working on getting them international lawyers to help them get back home to the states,” it added. FEDEX PILOT DETAINED IN CHINA BEFORE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT China Horizons also announced in the post that they are shutting down after being in business for 17 years, because of “increasing political and economic problems” between the two world superpowers. Both Harlan and Petersen were released on bail Thursday, Reuters reported, yet they are awaiting trial. It was not immediately clear which country the pair are accused of trying to move people in or out of. “The department handling the case has informed the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai in a timely manner, arranged U.S. diplomats to conduct consular visits and protected the legitimate rights and interests of the two,” Geng said at a press briefing. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing confirmed that it’s aware of the detentions and the charges brought against the two but gave no further details. “We take seriously our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens abroad and are monitoring the situation,” an embassy spokesman told the Associated Press. CALIFORNIA MAN ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR CHINA, OFFICIALS SAY A pair of GoFundMe sites set up for the two has raised nearly $40,000 toward their legal defense and other expenses. Harlan’s site says he is a father of five from Utah who was taken from his hotel room on the morning of Sept. 28, along with his 8-year-old daughter, Viara. It said Viara Harlan was allowed to make a brief call to her mother in Utah after 48 hours, but not permitted to dis her location or say anything about what had happened. Police later allowed her to fly home to the U.S. accompanied by a family friend, according to the site. Petersen’s page says she was held incommunicado for two weeks af
