The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would restrict visas for some Chinese officials because Beijing obstructs travel to the region by US diplomats, journalists and tourists.

“Access to Tibetan areas is increasingly vital to regional stability, given the PRC’s human rights abuses there, as well as Beijing’s failure to prevent environmental degradation near the headwaters of Asia’s major rivers,” Pompeo said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

“Today I am announcing visa restrictions on PRC 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,’” he said.