Most Chinese tourists will have to talk face to face to visa officers and have all their 10 fingerprints scanned, she said. Diplomats, children under 14, persons above 80 and patients who need to rush for emergency medical treatment to the US are the exceptions.

Insiders said the unchanged visa policy would add to the cost of tour operators and tourists both.

China Comfort International Travel Service spokesman Guo Yu, spokesman said people living in cities that don't have a US consulate would have to pay additional charges to travel for the three-hour face-to-face talk in cities like Beijing.

"If they fail to get a visa, tour agencies will have to share the loss," he said.

(China Daily March 6, 2008)