US announces visa curbs on Chinese officials over Tibet travel restrictions

The US claims China obstructs travel to Tibet by its diplomats, journalists, citizens

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo | Reuters US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo | Reuters

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced visa restrictions for a certain group of Chinese officials under the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act.

“Today I announced visa restrictions on PRC [Peoples Republic of China] officials involved in restricting foreigners’ access to Tibet. We will continue to seek reciprocity in our relationship,” Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday.

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 Chinese officials and other citizens enjoy far greater access to the US, he said in a statement.

As such, Pompeo said he is announcing visa restrictions on Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party officials determined to be “substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas,” pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.

Access to Tibetan areas is increasingly vital to regional stability, given the Chinese human rights abuses there, as well as Beijing's failure to prevent environmental degradation near the headwaters of Asia's major rivers, he said.

Pompeo said the US will continue to work to advance the sustainable economic development, environmental conservation and humanitarian conditions of Tibetan communities within China and abroad.

“We also remain committed to supporting meaningful autonomy for Tibetans, respect for their fundamental and unalienable human rights and the preservation of their unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity. In the spirit of true reciprocity, we will work closely with the US Congress to ensure US citizens have full access to all areas of the People’s Republic of China, including the TAR and other Tibetan areas,” Pompeo said.

The State Department funding for the Tibetan issues for the fiscal year 2021 beginning October 1 has been proposed to be $17 million and $1 million for the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, according to the budget papers that are now making their way through the Congressional approval process.

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