Foreign and Military Affairs

US denies FT's tougher visa report

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-04-27 14:02

WASHINGTON - The US State Department denied a newspaper report on Wednesday that Washington could make it more difficult for senior Chinese officials to secure visas.

"The US has not contemplated, nor is it considering any changes to our visa policies in China," State Department spokesman Darragh Paradiso said by telephone.

"As in other countries, the US embassy and consulates in China process visas following strict criteria and in accordance with US law."

The report appeared in the Financial Times as two days of Chinese-US talks on human rights were due to get under way in Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday warned against using human rights disputes as "an excuse to interfere in China's domestic affairs".

The Financial Times quoted a US official as saying Washington could toughen visa procedures in response to China's cancellation of bilateral meetings.