"Starting June 11 we [the United States] will be implementing measures to enhance security for some Chinese visa applicants," the official said on Tuesday. "The change in validity of some visas is part of the National Security Strategy to ensure that intellectual property is not transferred to our competitors."
Although a majority of visas for Chinese nationals are issued for maximum validity, the official added, US consular officers may "limit the validity of visas on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate to the circumstances of each case. "
Earlier in the day, the Trump administration announced that it was implementing 25 percent tariffs on technology-related imports from China. The Chinese government in a statement said the new tariffs "fundamentally contradict" a recent consensus reached between the two sides and urged the United States to abide by its agreements.
On May 20, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the United States and China had both put tariffs on hold and agreed to a framework for a trade deal. Mnuchin said China committed to buying 35-40 percent more in farm products immediately and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for $10 billion a year in energy products.
Tensions between China and the United States escalated in recent months when US President Donald Trump threatened to slap steep import tariffs on Chinese products, which prompted Beijing to respond in kind by threatening to target the US agriculture sector in key states that Trump needs to win in the next election.
