Beijing: China reaffirmed today that it will give a forceful response to the United States if it insists on hampering the operations of its media on North American soil, an addition to the tensions between the two powers, Prensa Latina reports.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin denounced that Washington has still not extended visas to the country’s correspondents, after the 90-day limitation came into force last May.
He described this attitude as wrong, after warning of an appropriate reaction by Beijing in defense of its rights and interests.
The US, he indicated, intensified the political oppression against the Chinese media in the midst of its offensive based on a Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice.
Wang also deplored the hypocrisy of the White House, because on the one hand he speaks of defending press freedom and on the other hand obstructs the reporter work of journalists from the Asian state.
The friction between the two powers over the press issue was exacerbated last February when Washington limited the number of employees in the offices of the Xinhua agency, CGTN television station, China Radio International station and the China Daily and Daily newspapers to 100. People installed on North American soil.
Besides, it also classified these entities as foreign missions and thus forces them to follow the same rules as embassies and consulates under the argument of being controlled by the Chinese government.
In reciprocity, the Asian state in March reported that Voice of America, New York Times, WSJ, Washington Post and Time correspondents should give the details of their personnel, finances, operations and properties in writing here.
He demanded that journalists from the aforementioned media, whose credentials will expire this year, deliver the IDs as they will no longer be allowed to work in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.