US vows to speed up visa process

BEIJING - Chinese citizens applying for US visas will face shorter wait times in the future as the US embassy vowed to speed up the visa application process.

The pledge comes amid an online campaign to stop the use of a call center which charges premium per-minute rates when setting up visa screening interview appointments.

More than 8,700 people in the United States have signed an online petition calling for an end to the 70 US cents a minute charge when making an interview appointment, required as part of the visa process.