China US Photo:GT

China decided to take reciprocal countermeasures on US officials in response to the US' imposing of visa restrictions on Chinese officials over issues related to "human rights," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a statement on March 21 that the US would restrict visas of Chinese officials for so-called "human rights violations." 

China firmly opposes the US' acts of fabricating lies and interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of so-called human rights-related issues, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Thursday's press briefing. 

Blinken's statement said that the US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials accused of so-called "human rights violations" on issues related to Xinjiang and other regions. 

China expressed its strong opposition toward the US' move, which shows China's determination in safeguarding its interests and legitimate rights, Lü Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The US' moves of smearing China's image and suppressing Chinese officials have lost the bottom line of morality and gravely violate international law and basic norms governing international relations, Wang said. 

In order to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals, China has decided to impose reciprocal visa restrictions on US officials who fabricated lies on China-related "human rights issues" and pushed forward sanctions against China and harmed China's interests, in accordance with the relevant provisions of China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, according to Wang.