BEIJING, Mar 3 (AP) -- The United States is hoping to attract a greater number of Chinese tourists, students and businesses with changes to its visa program, a U.S. consular official said Wednesday.

"America's welcome mat is out," said Maura Harty, the U.S. assistant secretary for consular affairs. "America is open for travel. America welcomes travelers."

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks caused a huge decrease in the number of people worldwide applying for travel visas to America.

In recent years, Harty said, the United States has tried to make the application process as "efficient as it possibly can be" as part of an effort to woo more visitors.

She said some of the steps included improving automating outdated systems, creating more consular positions and streamlining the screening process.

The Chinese market is especially important now, given its economic boom, Harty said. And China has more than 61,000 students studying in American universities, second only to India, she said.

"You've got an interesting country and so do we," she said. "We would very much like to inspire Chinese to come and visit the United States in any capacity."

She said Beijing and Washington have agreed to extend the validity of tourist and business visas from both countries to one year. Previous visas were valid for only six months.

Harty's visit comes a year after tensions escalated because of new regulations which required applicants to be fingerprinted electronically while applying for a visa to the United States as part of Washington's global anti-terrorism measures.

China contended the measures, introduced at more than 70 embassies and consulates worldwide, were discriminatory. It tightened its rules on issuing visas to U.S. citizens in retaliation.

Harty defended the U.S. policy, saying it helped prevent passport fraud and could speed up the immigration process at airports.

"The fingerprint requirement is not exclusive to China," Harty said. "I regret very, very much that anybody in China felt offended or put off by that requirement."

She would not say if tensions had let up but said she had a three-hour meeting with her Chinese counterpart during her trip.

Harty, who arrived in China on Sunday, also visited Shanghai and the southern city of Guangzhou to meet with students, businesses and government officials.