Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, April 1: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that the U.S. government will impose additional visa restrictions on Chinese officials, in response to China’s ongoing restrictions on foreign access to Tibet.
This action enforces the ‘Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018’, which aims to pressure China to lift its restrictions on foreign access to Tibet, specifically for diplomats, journalists, and tourists. It mandates the denial of U.S. visas to Chinese officials who are responsible for or involved in restricting such access, thereby highlighting human rights issues in the region. The act seeks to promote greater transparency and international scrutiny of China’s policies in Tibet, including concerns about cultural repression, religious persecution, and the treatment of the Tibetan people.
Secretary Rubio emphasised that the new restrictions will target Chinese officials responsible for blocking U.S. diplomats, journalists, and international observers from entering Tibet. In a statement released on Monday, he said, “For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party has denied U.S. diplomats, journalists, and others access to Tibet, while China’s diplomats and journalists enjoy broad access to the United States.”
He called this lack of reciprocal access unacceptable, noting that the U.S. government cannot provide adequate consular services to American citizens travelling in Tibet due to these restrictions. Rubio urged China to allow unrestricted access to Tibet for U.S. officials and citizens.
This move is part of a long history of U.S. efforts to promote human rights and religious freedom in Tibet. Several U.S. laws have aimed at pressuring China on these issues. The Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 created the position of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues in the U.S. State Department and called for the preservation of Tibet’s cultural identity. The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 directly addresses China’s restrictions on foreign access by imposing travel restrictions on Chinese officials.
The Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2020 opposed China’s interference in selecting Tibetan Buddhist leaders and strengthened environmental protections in Tibet. The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, passed in 2024, rejects China’s historical claim over Tibet and advocates for renewed negotiations between Tibetan representatives and China.
In December 2024, the US Congress extended the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act for another five years, reinforcing these measures in the National Defence Authorisation Act. This extension ensures continued enforcement of the travel restrictions and mandates reports on China’s influence in Tibet, including the impact of the closure of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, which previously monitored developments in Tibet. The responsibility for Tibet-related monitoring has since shifted to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
While the number of Chinese officials affected by the visa restrictions has not been publicly disclosed, the U.S. has targeted officials involved in limiting foreign access to Tibet.
Secretary Rubio, a long-time advocate for human rights, especially in Tibet and East Turkestan, has played a key role in shaping U.S. policy on Tibet. He was one of the original sponsors of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act in 2017. His outspoken criticism of China’s human rights violations has led to political sanctions against him by China in 2020 and 2021.
