Curbs tightened ahead of Games
Five of the six Olympic cities on the mainland - including Shanghai and Beijing - have in effect suspended the issuing of business visas to foreigners until after the Games.
In the latest entry restriction introduced ahead of the Olympics, authorities in the five cities have stopped providing invitation letters, also known as notification letters, which are required in support of applications to visit the mainland for business visits, market research and training.
The move has shocked businesspeople with interests on the mainland, some of whom say it could cost them millions of dollars.
The Shanghai Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Commission, the municipal authority dealing with foreigners' visa applications, posted a notice on its website on Monday saying all applications for notification letters would be suspended until mid-September.
Authorities in Beijing and three other cities that will co-host the Games - Qingdao, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao - said similar restrictions had been imposed there.
