The US government is tightening travel policy for members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Visas for the approximately 92 million members of the party and their families are now valid for a maximum of one month, according to insiders.
That was previously 10 years, reports The New York Times. Also, those travel documents can only be used once to enter the country.
The US State Department confirms to the newspaper that a tightened travel policy is part of a package of measures. They must protect the US against the “malicious” influence of the Chinese ruling party.
“We gave the CCP free and unfettered access to US institutions and businesses for decades, while US citizens in China were never given those same privileges.”
According to the newspaper, the stricter visa rules take effect immediately and could, in theory, affect hundreds of millions of Chinese.
However, it may prove difficult in practice to determine whether travellers are members of the Chinese Communist Party unless they are prominent members. The new policy may put further pressure on the relationship between Washington and Beijing.