China has announced that it will implement visa restrictions for United States citizens wishing to visit China; this in retaliation for the announcement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this month that the US will deny entry for Chinese government officials who are responsible for keeping American citizens out of Tibet under the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act (RATA). This law was passed by the US Senate and Congress in 2018 to redress the issue that while Chinese reporters and officials have unfettered access to the US, Americans are routinely denied access to Tibet.
China’s announcement, published in the state media the Global Times, stated, “China will impose visa restrictions on some US personnel who have behaved badly on Tibet-related affairs”, making it clear that this was in response to Mr Pompeo’s statement. Radio Free Asia reports that Zhao Lijian, speaking for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a news briefing, “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”.
Mike Pompeo said on July 8, “The United States seeks fair, transparent, and reciprocal treatment from the People’s Republic of China for our citizens . . . We have taken several steps to further this goal. Unfortunately, Beijing has continued systematically to obstruct travel to the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas by US diplomats and other officials, journalists, and tourists, while PRC officials and other citizens enjoy far greater access to the United States.” He did not say which Chinese officials would be denied entry to the United States.
In the United Kingdom Tim Loughton MP, Chair of the British All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, presented a bill to the House of Commons on July 6 entitled Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill under the parliamentary Ten Minute Rule. Mr Loughton started this process last year with the intention of bringing into law visa restrictions for Chinese officials who have barred British representatives from visiting Tibet, in a similar way to the US Reciprocal Access Bill. The UK parliamentary website states that it is, “A Bill to require the Secretary of State to report annually on restrictions on access by UK nationals to Tibet in comparison with other regions of China; to make provision to deny persons involved in imposing such restrictions permission to enter the UK; and for connected purposes.”
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