"The United States of America has long been a beacon of hope for the world’s most oppressed peoples, and a voice for those who have been silenced. We have been especially vocal about the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses, which rank among the worst in the world," the US State Department said in a statement.

Targeting China, the Department further said: "Today, the State Department is imposing visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese technology companies that provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights abuses globally."

"Under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, an alien is inadmissible to the United States if the Secretary of State has reason to believe the alien’s entry 'would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.'"

"Companies impacted by today’s action include Huawei, an arm of the CCP’s surveillance state that censors political dissidents and enables mass internment camps in Xinjiang and the indentured servitude of its population shipped all over China," it said.

The US said certain Huawei employees provide material support to the CCP regime that commits human rights abuses.

"Telecommunications companies around the world should consider themselves on notice: If they are doing business with Huawei, they are doing business with human rights abusers," the statement said.