Beijing to Restrict Visas for US Visitors with ‘Anti-China’ Links

China plans tighter visa restrictions for US nationals with ties to anti-China groups,  following similar US restrictions on Chinese nationals as relations between the countries sour.

China’s Ministry of Public Security has for months been working on rules to limit the ability of anyone employed, or sponsored, by US intelligence services and human rights groups to travel to China.

The proposed changes follow the introduction by the United States of tighter rules for visas for Chinese scholars in May.

The Chinese rules would mandate the drafting of a list of US military and CIA-linked institutions and rights groups, and the addition of their employees to a visa blacklist, according to the sources, who declined to be identified.

New US visa restrictions announced on Tuesday, on Chinese government and Communist Party officials the United States believes responsible for the detention or abuse of Muslim minorities, had bolstered the case for the new Chinese restrictions, one of the sources said.

China’s National Immigration Administration, which operates under the Ministry of Public Security, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Rivalry between the United States and China is fueled by a range of issues including commercial competition, human rights and worries about security.