China clamps down on issuing business visas

China has clamped down further on issuing business visas, government officials said Thursday, in the latest expansion of already-tight entry restrictions for next month's Olympic Games. Beijing has stopped issuing invitation letters needed for visas for businesspeople until late September, unless the visa involves employment or business contracts, an official with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce said. "We don't take in applications related to any other general business matters, such as attending conferences, visiting factories and business negotiations. Such applications will not be handled until after Sept. 20," Chen Yu said. The change began around the beginning of July, he said. China has tightened its visa rules to keep out foreign activists and foreigners not properly employed in Beijing, but businessmen have... [read full story]