London, Aug. 16 (ANI): British Home Secretary Theresa May is blocking plans that will make it easier for Chinese tourists to get visas amid fears that it will lead to a rise in organized crime, according to a leaked letter.
May has warned that relaxing visa rules on Chinese visitors would pose a threat to national security and bring Chinese criminals and asylum seekers to Britain.
Her intervention comes after senior cabinet ministers, led by Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, raised concerns that tourists are being 'put off' coming to Britain by a difficult and expensive visa system, The Telegraph reports.
According to the report, Hunt's call to simplify the rules is understood to have been supported by George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, after complaints from Chinese businesses about the strict regime.
The leaked letter from May's private secretary has revealed that the issue has escalated to the highest level of government with the Home Secretary forced to answer questions from the Prime Minister about how to increase Chinese visits, the report added.
The letter also points that there are already 400 Chinese criminals awaiting deportation and 1,000 asylum applications from Chinese citizens last year.
According to the report, government statistics show that Britain is losing out on trade with only 147,000 Chinese tourists visiting the country last year compared with 1.2 million going to France.
Sebastian Wood, the British ambassador in Beijing, wrote to May in June complaining that the visa system is seen in China as a "fortress" that is putting off tourists, the report added. (ANI)
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