US government employee in China reported strange sounds, pressure

In an emailed notice to American citizens in China, the US state department it was not currently known what caused the symptoms in the city of Guangzhou, where an American consulate is located.

A US government employee in southern China reported abnormal sensations of sound and pressure, the state department said on Wednesday, recalling similar experiences among American diplomats in Cuba who later fell ill.

The US state department said it was not aware of any similar situations in China, either within the diplomatic community or among others. (Reuters file)

In an emailed notice to American citizens in China, the department it was not currently known what caused the symptoms in the city of Guangzhou, where an American consulate is located.

“A US government employee in China recently reported subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure,” the notice said. “The US government is taking these reports seriously and has informed its official staff in China of this event.”

The department said it was not aware of any similar situations in China, either within the diplomatic community or among others.

In Cuba, the US reported that some of its personnel and family members experienced a range of ailments, some after hearing an unusual sound. For most, the symptoms occurred around May 2017.

The still-unexplained incidents sparked a rift in US-Cuban relations, while investigators have chased theories including a sonic attack, electromagnetic weapon or flawed spying device.