The state-owned Global Times on December 20, castigated the 'Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018', signed into law by US President Trump on December 19. The act is designed to promote access for US diplomats, officials, journalists and others from the US to Tibet and Tibetan autonomous prefectures in Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan and Gansu provinces. It also says that Chinese officials involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access to the region by foreigners will be denied entry into the US, according to the website of the US Congress. The Global Times said the Act "sends the absolutely wrong message to "Tibetan separatists," severely violates basic norms in international relations, grossly interferes with China's domestic affairs and is extremely harmful to China-US exchanges". Dismissing what it described as the allegation that "China imposes greater restrictions on foreigners seeking to travel to Tibetan-inhabited areas than other regions of China", it said "China welcomes foreigners to visit Tibet, but their visits must follow China's laws and regulations and relevant formalities." Zhi Zhenfeng, a legal expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told Global Times on December 20, "that US politicians need to go back to law school, as it is the fundamental sovereign right for a country to manage foreigners' entry".
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