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The two economic giants have been fighting a trade war over the past year
Chinese diplomats in the US will have to notify American authorities before holding any meetings with US officials.
Official visits to educational and research institutions must also be pre-registered, the US state department said.
China said the US was breaking international rules – but the US said American diplomats in China faced tougher restrictions.
The move comes amid heightened tensions between both countries.
In a statement on Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in US called the new rules a “violation of the Vienna Convention” – an agreement that outlines the rules of diplomatic relations.
“The Chinese side does not have similar requirements on American diplomats and consular officers in China,” it added.
US officials clarified that Chinese diplomats did not need permission for the meetings, but were required only to notify the state department in advance.
The move will be seen as unusual, but the US said it was merely “levelling the playing field” with China.
“In China, US diplomats do not have unfettered access to a range of folks that are important for us to do our job here.
“In contrast, [Chinese] diplomats in the US are of course, able to take full advantage of our open society,” said a senior state department official in a statement.
The official added that the new ruling was “not directly linked” to the continuing US trade war with China.
The US and China have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of each other’s goods over the past 15 months.