US imposes personnel cap on designated Chinese state-run media entities

The United States on March 1 imposed personal cap on designated Chinese state-run media entities over the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work there. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Monday issued a press statement where he accused the Chinese government of imposing increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China. The new development comes days after China expelled three Wall Street journalists over what it calls a 'racist' headline on coronavirus opinion piece which read, "China Is Real Sick Man of Asia." 

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US tightens grip on Chinese state-run media

Pompeo in his statement said, "The U.S. government is today instituting a personnel cap on certain PRC-controlled state media entities in the United States – specifically, the five entities that were designated by the U.S. State Department on February 18, 2020, as foreign missions of the People’s Republic of China. This cap limits the number of Chinese citizens permitted to work for these organizations in the United States at any given time." Pompeo further added, 'The decision to implement this personnel cap is not based on any content produced by these entities, nor does it place any restrictions on what the designated entities may publish in the United States."

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The United States' Department of State had earlier designated five Chinese state-run media organisations as foreign missions under the Foreign Missions Act. US State Department on February 18, during a press conference, said, that it will treat the five Chinese state-run media organisations operating in the United States as foreign missions because they are run by the PRC government and are subject to the control in terms of content and editorial. Foreign mission, as defined by law, is an entity that is substantially owned or effectively controlled by a foreign government. 

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Image Credit: AP