GENEVA/BEIJING, Sept 1 (Reuters) – A group of U.N. ambassadors are touring Tibet on a trip arranged by China, diplomats said, an apparent push by Beijing to counter mounting criticism of its human rights record ahead of a review by the global body in early 2024.

Photos posted on the social media platform X suggested the trip was mostly attended by close Chinese allies.

U.N. experts have this year voiced repeated concerns over Tibet, which is administered by Beijing as an autonomous region within China, most recently in August when they raised the plight of jailed Tibetan rights defenders.

The United States last week imposed visa sanctions on unnamed Chinese officials for allegedly taking part in “forced assimilation” of Tibetan children through state-run boarding schools seeking to eliminate Tibet’s traditions, according to a statement from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday vowed “reciprocal” measures and condemned U.S. “lies on Tibet”.

China has also faced criticism for its treatment of Muslims in its Xinjiang region, which the U.N. said a year ago may constitute crimes against humanity.