Published 11:38 IST, July 2nd 2020
China ties knot around US media outlets; says will continue 'reciprocal retaliation'
In retaliation to four of its media outlets being listed as 'foreign missions', China has now decided to launch a crackdown on American media outlets in China
In retaliation to four of its media outlets being listed as 'foreign missions' by the US, China has now decided to launch a crackdown on American media outlets working in China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday asked four US-based media outlets-- the Associated Press, UPI, CBS and the NPR to submit a written undertaking with details of their staff, finances and operations in China.
Earlier Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Linjin had warned the US that it will take countermeasures over the 'ideological suppression' of Chinese media in the states asking it to abandon its 'Cold War mentality.'
Following up on his warning, Zhao while addressing a press conference said, "On June 22, the US designated 4 more Chinese media outlets as foreign missions'. This includes CCTV, People's Daily, Global Times & China News Service. In response to US' restrictions, China demands China-based branches of AP, United Press International, CBS, NPR to declare in written form information about their staff, finances, operations and real estate in China within seven days starting Wednesday."
Taking to Twitter, Chinese foreign mission media-- Global Times' Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin lauded the retaliation saying that he 'hoped' that the US will not make things difficult for Chinese journalists, now that the interests of American journalists were also involved. He added that Beijing would continue this 'reciprocal retaliation' if needed.
USA lists four more Chinese publications as 'foreign missions'
Last month, the US State Department declared China Central Television, China News Service, the People’s Daily, and the Global Times as 'foreign missions'. This comes amid US' attempts to put more pressure on China and its aggressive expansionist moves, human rights violations, measures at stifling free speech, and so on.
As per the statement issued by the US State Department, "foreign mission" means that the media outlets are “substantially owned or effectively controlled” by a foreign government, and in this case, China. Earlier this year, USA had listed Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA as 'foreign missions'.
Updated 11:38 IST, July 2nd 2020