Published 09:19 IST, June 23rd 2020
USA lists four Chinese publications as 'foreign missions; says they're controlled by govt
US Secretary of State declared China Central Television, China News Service, the People’s Daily, and the Global Times as 'foreign missions'.
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US State Department declared China Central Television, China News Service, the People’s Daily, and the Global Times as 'foreign missions'. The move comes as the US tries to put more pressure on China for its aggressive expansionist moves, human rights violations, stifling free speech, etc.
USA lists four more publications as 'controlled by China'
In order to ensure greater transparency of CCP-run operations in the United States, I directed the designation of four additional PRC propaganda outlets as foreign missions.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 22, 2020
As per the US State Department statement, 'foreign mission' means they are substantially owned or effectively controlled” by a foreign government, and in this case, China. Earlier this year, USA listed Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA as 'foreign missions', thus identifying nine publications in total as government-owned.
The move does not interfere with these publications to publish a particular article but just recognizes them in order to increase transparency relating to the Communist Party of China (CCP) and People's Republic of China (PRC)'s media activities in the United States.
These publications will, however, have to follow certain rules which are applied to foreign embassies and consulates in USA.
USA has increased its pressure on China over the last few weeks, will call to hold Xi Jinping's administration on the detention of Uyghur Muslims, cyber-attacks across the world, data mining, piracy issues, lack of free speech, etc. During his opening remarks at the virtually held Copenhagen Democracy Summit over the weekend, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized China for increasing tensions in South East Asia and around the world. Pompeo referenced the incident along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Galwan Valley in Ladakh last week, which resulted in the death of at least 20 Indian Army personnel. "The PLA has escalated border tensions – we see it today in India, the world’s most popular – populous democracy. And we watch as it militarizes the South China Sea and illegally claims more territory there, threatening vital sea lanes, a promise they broke again," Pompeo said.
Pompeo went on to state how China is waging cyber wars against countries, with the latest suspect being Australia, adding debts on countries, forcing them to depend on China. "The Chinese Communist Party decreed an end to freedom in Hong Kong, violating an UN-registered treaty and the rights of its citizens – one of just many international treaties that the Chinese Communist Party has violated. General Secretary Xi has greenlighted a brutal campaign of repression against Chinese Muslims, a human rights violation on a scale we have not seen since World War II," Pompeo said.
07:19 IST, June 23rd 2020