No one from the State Department can stay at the Waldorf-Astoria anymore

The US State Department may be cutting ties with the Waldorf-Astoria.

A Chinese firm purchased the iconic New York hotel last year, and in September, when diplomats come to town for the annual United Nations General Assembly (the first since the purchase), the State Department will break with tradition and stay at the Palace Hotel instead, the Associated Press reports.

Without directly attributing the decision to concerns over Chinese spying, officials "pointed to" the hotel's sale last year, the AP reported.

The US government currently suspects Chinese hackers are behind one of the largest known cyberattacks on the US government. So Washington is pretty wary about Chinese espionage right now.

But while hundreds of US diplomats and staffers will be setting up shop somewhere new this year, it's still unclear whether the US amabassador to the United Nations will move as well.

The State Department has leased an apartment for the ambassador on the 42nd floor of the Waldorf Towers for more than 50 years, according to the report.

That lease expires this year, and it sounds like it may not be renewed.

NOW WATCH: This Chinese couple takes trust to another level - with knives

Please enable Javascript to watch this video