That’s my initial take on this too. The US consulate probably made a panic call to the China Desk @ the State Department an the would-be defector was sent packing! Can’t tick off the country holding our mortgage dontcha know?
I am sure Wall St. will praise them for showing “admirable prudence.” Wall St. has been setting parameters for U.S. foreign/defense policy for quite a while. State Dept. is happy to be on board, because it naturally fits their view. Result? U.S. let potential problems fester and become big problems which can be only solved at prohibitive cost. The prime example is China.