The United States has decided to impose visa restrictions on a number of Chinese officials, including members of the Communist Party of China, in connection with “coercive activities”
China strongly protested to the US over new visa restrictions on a number of Chinese officials. This was announced on Monday by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunyin.
“China is strongly opposed and categorically condemns the new US visa restrictions”, – she said at a regular briefing.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Friday that the United States is imposing visa restrictions on a number of Chinese officials, including members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), due to “coercive activities” attributed to them by Washington. According to him, visa restrictions will affect “persons actively involved in the activities of the United Front Office [CPC], who have used or threatened to use physical violence, kidnapping and disclosure of confidential information, espionage, sabotage or malicious interference in internal political affairs, academic freedom, privacy or business activities. As Pompeo explained on Twitter, it is a question of imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials who have allegedly “participated in malicious acts in order to induce cooperation and force those who oppose Beijing’s policies”.
Previously, the US decided to tighten the rules for granting tourist visas to CPC members and their immediate family members. Now they will be able to receive visas for only one month with a one-time right of entry into the country. Before that, such visas were issued for a period of 10 years. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunyin said that the U.S. tightening of the rules for granting tourist visas to CPC members is contrary to the interests of Washington.