,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dhea ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ab1 #bjad ,mr4 ,mc,govern 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,pitts1 ,mr4 ,wolf1 and ,mr4 ,ellison7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to promote access for ,united ,states officials1 journalists1 and other citizens to ,tibetan areas of the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,reciprocal ,access to ,tibet ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,chinese ,government does not grant ,united ,states officials1 journalists1 and other citizens access to the ,people's ,republic of ,china on a reciprocal basis to the access the ,united ,states ,government grants ,chinese officials1 journalists1 and citizens4 7#b7 ,the ,chinese ,government imposes greater restrictions on travel to ,tibetan areas than to other areas of the ,people's ,republic of ,china4 7#c7 ,officials of the ,people's ,republic of ,china have stated that ,tibet is open to foreign visitors4 7#d7 ,the ,chinese ,government is promoting tourism in ,tibetan areas1 and has announced plans to make tourism a pillar industry for the region4 7#e7 ,the ,chinese ,government requires foreigners to obtain permission from the ,tibet ,foreign and ,overseas ,affairs ,office or from the ,tibet ,tourism ,bureau to enter the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region1 a restriction that is not imposed on travel to any other provincial-level jurisdiction in the ,people's ,republic of ,china4 7#f7 ,the ,department of ,state reports that the ,tibet ,foreign and ,overseas ,affairs ,office denied more than #aj requests for ,united ,states diplomatic access to the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region between ,may #bjaa and ,december #bjab1 and that when such requests are granted1 diplomatic personnel are closely supervised and given few opportunities to meet local residents not approved by authorities4 7#g7 ,the ,chinese ,government restricted ,united ,states consular access after an ,october #bh1 #bjac1 bus crash in the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region1 in which at least two ,americans died and more than a dozen others1 all from ,walnut1 ,california1 were injured4 7#h7 ,the ,chinese ,government has failed to respond positively to the ,united ,states ,government's request to open a consulate in ,lhasa1 ,tibet ,autonomous ,region4 7#i7 ,the ,department of ,state reports that the ,chinese government regularly denies requests by ,american diplomats1 foreign journalists1 and observers to visit ,tibetan areas1 and that those permitted to visit are subject to highly structured1 government-organized tours that limit independent1 objective reporting4 7#aj7 ,the ,department of ,state reports that foreign diplomats who were permitted to travel in ,tibetan areas outside the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region were repeatedly approached by local police and sometimes forced to leave without reasonable explanation4 7#aa7 ,the ,department of ,state reports that permission is not always granted to foreign tourists1 and that when granted1 ,lhasa1 ,rikaze 7,shigatse71 and ,shannan 7,lhoka7 are usually the only places in the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region open to foreigners4 7#ab7 ,foreign visitors also face restrictions in their ability to travel freely in ,tibetan areas outside the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region4 7#ac7 ,foreign visitors to ,tibetan areas are explicitly limited to tours that are tightly managed by authorities4 7#ad7 ,restrictions on journalists' access to ,tibetan areas conflict with government regulations1 adopted in #bjjh1 lifting requirements that foreign journalists get permission of local authorities to travel in the country and interview ,chinese citizens4 7#ae7 ,the ,united ,states ,government generally allows journalists and other citizens of the ,people's ,republic of ,china to travel freely within the ,united ,states4 ,the ,united ,states ,government requires ,chinese diplomats to notify the ,department of ,state of their travel plans1 and in certain situations1 the ,united ,states ,government requires ,chinese diplomats to obtain approval from the ,department of ,state before travel4 ,however1 where approval is required1 it is almost always granted expeditiously4 7#af7 ,the ,united ,states regularly grants visas to ,chinese officials1 scholars1 and others who travel to the ,united ,states to discuss1 promote and display the ,chinese ,government's perspective on the situation in ,tibetan areas1 even as the ,chinese ,government restricts the ability of ,united ,states citizens to travel to ,tibetan areas to gain their own perspective4 7#ag7 ,chinese diplomats based in the ,united ,states generally avail themselves of the freedom to travel to ,united ,states cities and lobby city councils1 mayors1 and governors to refrain from passing resolutions1 issuing proclamations1 or making statements of concern on ,tibet4 7#ah7 ,the ,chinese ,government characterizes statements made by ,united ,states officials about the situation in ,tibetan areas as inappropriate interference in the internal affairs of ,china4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,tibetan areas ,the term ,tibetan areas includes-- 7,a7 the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region 7,,tar72 and 7,b7 the prefectures and counties of the provinces of ,sichuan1 ,qinghai1 ,yunnan1 and ,gansu of the ,people's ,republic of ,china that the ,chinese ,government designates as ,tibetan ,autonomous areas4 7#b7 ,senior leadership positions ,the term senior leadership positions means-- 7,a7 at the provincial level1 the ,governor1 the ,vice ,governor1 the ,party ,secretary1 the ,party ,disciplinary ,committee ,secretary1 the ,party ,politics and ,law ,committee ,secretary1 the ,organization ,department ,director1 the ,chairman of the ,standing ,committee of the ,people's ,congress for the ,autonomous ,region or ,province1 the ,chairman of the ,autonomous ,region or ,provincial ,committee of the ,people's ,political ,consultative ,conference1 the head of the ,tibetan ,autonomous ,region ,communist ,party ,committee ,united ,front ,work ,department1 the head of the ,tibetan ,autonomous ,region ,communist ,party ,committee ,political and ,legal ,commission1 the heads of the ,tibetan ,autonomous ,region ,public ,security and ,state ,security ,bureaus1 the ,commander of the ,people's ,armed ,police1 the head of the ,foreign and ,overseas ,affairs ,office1 the ,director of the ,tibet ,tourism ,bureau in the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region1 and the ,party ,secretary and ,mayor of ,lhasa and the relevant provincial capitals2 7,b7 at the prefectural and county levels1 the ,party ,secretary1 the ,deputy ,party ,secretaries1 the prefecture and county heads and deputy heads1 the ,secretary ,general1 and the ,deputy ,secretary ,general2 7,c7 at the national level1 the ,director of the ,communist ,party ,central ,committee ,united ,front ,work ,department1 the ,director of the ,state ,ethnic ,affairs ,commission1 the ,director of the ,state ,administration for ,religious ,affairs1 the ,director of the ,state ,council ,information ,office1 and the ,director of the ,foreign ,affairs ,office of the ,state ,council ,information ,office2 7,d7 at the regional level1 the ,regional ,people's ,armed ,police and ,military ,commanders with jurisdiction in ,tibetan areas2 and 7,e7 any other individual determined by the ,secretary of ,state to be personally and substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies in ,tibetan areas4 7#c7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,united ,states ,senate4 #d4 ,report to ,congress 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act and every #ab months thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that provides-- 7#a7 an assessment of the level of access ,chinese authorities granted ,united ,states diplomats1 journalists1 and tourists to ,tibetan areas in the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 including a comparison with the level of access granted to other areas of the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 a comparison between the levels of access granted to ,tibetan and non-,tibetan areas in relevant provinces1 and a description of the required permits and other measures that impede the freedom to travel in ,tibetan areas2 7#b7 a list of the persons in senior leadership positions in the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region2 7#c7 a list of the persons in senior leadership positions in the provinces of ,sichuan1 ,qinghai1 ,yunnan1 and ,gansu ,provinces of the ,people's ,republic of ,china2 7#d7 a list of the persons in senior leadership positions in ,kardze 7,ganzi7 ,tibetan ,autonomous ,prefecture1 ,ngawa 7,aba7 ,tibetan and ,qiang ,tibetan ,autonomous ,prefecture1 ,muli 7,mili7 ,autonomous ,county of ,sichuan ,province1 ,tsonub 7,haixi7 ,mongol and ,tibetan1 ,tsojang 7,haibei7 ,tibetan1 ,malho 7,huangnan7 ,tibetan1 ,yulshul 7,yushu7 ,tibetan1 and ,golog 7,guoluo7 ,tibetan ,autonomous ,prefectures of ,qinghai ,province1 ,dechen 7,diqing7 ,tibetan ,autonomous ,prefecture of ,yunnan ,province1 and the ,kanlho 7,gannan7 ,tibetan ,autonomous ,prefecture and ,pari 7,tianzhu7 ,tibetan ,autonomous ,county of ,gansu ,province2 7#e7 a list of the persons in senior leadership positions at the national level as defined in section #c7b77;,c72 and 7#f7 a list of the persons in senior leadership positions at the regional level as defined in section #c7b77;,d74 7b7 ,public availability ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall be made available on the website of the ,department of ,state4 #e4 ,inadmissibility of certain aliens 7a7 ,ineligibility for visas ,an alien is ineligible to receive a visa to enter the ,united ,states and ineligible to be admitted to the ,united ,states if such alien is on the list required by-- 7#a7 subsection 7a77#b7 of section #d1 and if the ,secretary of ,state determines that the requirements for specific official permission for foreigners to travel to the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region remain in effect1 or that the current permission system has been replaced by a requirement that has the same effect of requiring foreign travelers to gain a level of permission to enter the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region that is not required for travel to other province-level entities in the ,people's ,republic of ,china2 7#b7 subsections 7a77#c7 and 7a77#d7 of section #d1 and if the ,secretary of ,state determines that restrictions on travel by ,united ,states officials1 journalists1 and citizens to areas designated as ,tibetan autonomous in the provinces of ,sichuan1 ,qinghai1 ,yunnan1 and ,gansu of the ,people's ,republic of ,china are greater than any restrictions on travel by ,united ,states officials1 journalists1 and citizens to areas in such provinces that are not so designated2 or 7#c7 subsections 7a77#e7 and 7a77#f7 of section #d1 and if the ,secretary of ,state determines that the requirement for a specific permission to enter ,tibet pertaining to travel by foreigners to the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region remain in effect1 or that the requirement has been replaced by a regulation that has the same effect of requiring foreign travelers to gain a level of permission to enter the ,tibet ,autonomous ,region that is not required for travel to other province-level entities in the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 and if the ,secretary of ,state determines that restrictions on travel by ,united ,states officials and citizens to areas designated as ,tibetan ,autonomous in the provinces of ,sichuan1 ,qinghai1 ,yunnan1 and ,gansu of the ,people's ,republic of ,china are greater than any restrictions on travel by ,united ,states officials and citizens to areas in such provinces that are not so designated4 7b7 ,current visas revoked ,the ,secretary of ,state shall revoke1 in accordance with section #bba7;i7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abja7;i771 the visa or other documentation of any alien who would be ineligible to receive such a visa or documentation under subsection 7a74 7c7 ,waiver for national interests 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state may waive the application of subsection 7a7 or 7b7 in the case of an alien if the ,secretary determines that such a waiver-- 7,a7 is necessary to permit the ,united ,states to comply with the ,agreement between the ,united ,nations and the ,united ,states of ,america regarding the ,headquarters of the ,united ,nations1 signed ,june #bf1 #aidg1 and entered into force ,november #ba1 #aidg1 or other applicable international obligations of the ,united ,states2 or 7,b7 is in the national security interests of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,notification ,upon granting a waiver under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a document detailing the evidence and justification for the necessity of such waiver1 including1 if such waiver is granted pursuant to subparagraph 7,b7 of such paragraph1 how such waiver relates to the national security interests of the ,united ,states4 #f4 ,visa policy ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 reciprocity forms the basis of diplomatic law and the practice of mutual exchanges between countries2 7#b7 a country should give equivalent consular access to the nationals of another country in a reciprocal manner to the consular access granted by such other country to its own citizens2 and 7#c7 the ,secretary of ,state1 when granting diplomats from the ,people's ,republic of ,china access to parts of the ,united ,states1 should take into account the extent to which the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china grants ,united ,states diplomats access to parts of the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 including the level of access afforded to such diplomats to ,tibetan areas4