China to impose reciprocal visa restrictions on US individuals over Tibet

ISTANBUL

China announced Thursday that it will impose visa restrictions on a reciprocal basis on US citizens who spread rumors to smear Beijing or have “long meddled in Tibet-related issues.”

“The US imposed illegal sanctions on Chinese officials based on fabricated lies about Tibet. This move gravely interferes in China’s internal affairs, harms China’s interests, and violates basic norms governing international relations,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin during a news conference.

China’s decision comes after the US announced last week that it will impose visa restrictions on Chinese officials for their alleged involvement in the "forcible assimilation of more than one million Tibetan children in government-run boarding schools.”

Wang said Beijing “once again” calls on the US to “respect facts, change course, stop spreading disinformation on Tibet, and stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs.”