China to impose visa restrictions on US officials over Tibet

China said on Wednesday it will impose visa restrictions on US individuals following Washington’s imposition of travel bans on Chinese officials it accuses of restricting foreigners’ access to Tibet.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the move would target “US individuals with egregious conduct related to Tibet issues.”

“We urge the US to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs with Tibet-related issues ... so as to avoid further damage to China-US relations,” Zhao told reporters in regard to the US’s “Reciprocal Access To Tibet Act.”

Noting that China is firmly committed to opening up further to the outside world, the spokesperson said Tibet is open and has never had regulations restricting foreigners from entering. Nearly 176,000 foreigners visited Tibet for sightseeing or business from 2015 to 2018, said Zhao, adding that the number includes 175,000 tourists, around 500 diplomats and 343 journalists.

He also pointed out that over 40 million domestic residents and foreigners visited Tibet last year, including the US ambassador to China Terry Branstad, which fully shows that there is no problem for foreigners to visit Tibet.

While China encourages travel to the Himalayan region, it has adopted certain management and protection measures for foreigners visiting Tibet in accordance with law and regulations, along with consideration for Tibet’s special geographical and climatic conditions, Zhao said.

The Trump administration announced its new travel ban on Tuesday, hitting an unspecified number of Chinese officials with visa restrictions, limiting or entirely eliminating their ability to travel to the United States.

In announcing the restrictions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China of systematically obstructing the travel of foreign diplomats, journalists and tourists to Tibet.