China will impose, on a reciprocal basis, visa restrictions on U.S. individuals who spread rumors to smear or have long meddled in Tibet-related issues, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

It was reported that the United States imposed visa restrictions on some Chinese officials for their part in "forced assimilation" in Tibet.

In response, spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing that the United States imposed illegal sanctions on Chinese officials based on fabricated lies on Tibet in disregard of the facts, saying that this move gravely interferes in China's internal affairs, harms China's interests, and violates basic norms governing international relations.

"We once again call on the U.S. side to respect facts, change course, stop spreading disinformation on Tibet, and stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs," said Wang.