China protests US move to restrict visas for Central Americans with Beijing ties

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By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -China on Wednesday accused the United States of violating the United Nations Charter after Washington announced a visa policy that targeted people from Central American countries who work with Beijing.

The policy, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will restrict U.S. visas for Central American nationals, and their immediate family members, who “are intentionally acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party and threatening our region’s stability.”

“Turning visas into political leverage runs against the #UN Charter and the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference. Central America is no one’s ‘backyard,'” the Chinese Embassy in Washington wrote on X.

It said that China’s cooperation with regional countries has contributed to local economies and livelihoods.

The embassy said international relations should be “built on respect and partnership, not pressure.”

The State Department did not immediately respond when reached for comment.

The department, which routinely notifies of visa restrictions in press releases, has not indicated how many new restrictions have been imposed as a result of the policy, which was announced in September.

The president of Panama – one of the countries mentioned in the Chinese embassy’s statement – said last month that someone at the U.S. Embassy in Panama had threatened to cancel the visas of Panamanian officials.

The U.S. has expressed its concerns about China’s increasing foothold in Latin America, a region historically under the U.S. sphere of influence.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Don Durfee and Chizu Nomiyama)