China's "reciprocal restrictions" on US media reporters in China? Ministry of Foreign Affairs: It is totally inconsistent with the facts.
On September 7, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian presided over a regular press conference.
A reporter asked questions. According to reports from the New York Times and CNN, the spokesperson of the US State Department recently issued a statement stating that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified the US Embassy in China that it refused to extend the press card for US media reporters in China. The relevant practice is against the US Peer response.
Please confirm from China. Will China's relevant practices lead to further escalation of China-US media issues?
Zhao Lijian said that the relevant statements made by the spokesperson of the US State Department are completely inconsistent with the facts and are a slander.
The fact is that the renewal of the press card of journalists from relevant US media including CNN is in the process of accepting. Until the new press card is issued, the reporter's coverage and life in China will not be affected in any way.
We have officially told the US side.
Zhao Lijian said that for a period of time, the United States has been escalating its political suppression of the Chinese media, which has reached the level of hysteria.
Since 2018, the United States has indefinitely delayed or even refused visas for 30 Chinese journalists, registered Chinese media in the United States as foreign agents, and later listed as foreign missions, expelled 60 Chinese journalists in the United States in disguise, and sent Chinese journalists in the United States. The visa stay period was reduced to no more than 90 days, which is three months.
The above-mentioned journalists’ visas expired on August 6. They had already submitted their visa extension applications to the United States as required, but the United States has not extended the visa to any Chinese journalists so far. In great uncertainty.
“The relevant actions of the United States seriously interfered with the normal reporting activities of the Chinese media in the United States, severely damaged the reputation of the Chinese media, and seriously interfered with the normal humanities exchanges between the two countries." The Chinese media even took Chinese reporters stationed in the United States as hostages and pressured China, which exposed the hypocrisy of the so-called freedom of the press by the United States, which is a naked double standard and hegemonic bullying.
Even so, the Chinese side has always expressed its willingness to resolve the issue of media reporters from the two countries with the US on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and has been maintaining communication and discussions with the US.
Zhao Lijian said that in order to show sincerity, even when the US side shortened the visa of Chinese journalists in the US to three months without distinction, China still exercised restraint and has not implemented relevant countermeasures so far.
Previously, visa extensions for American journalists had been normal to facilitate their reporting.
When the US expelled more than 60 Chinese journalists and refused to sign more than 20 journalists, China did not expel the same number of US journalists.
However, in the course of the negotiations, the US side was arrogant and unreasonable, turning a deaf ear to China's normal and reasonable concerns and demands, and did not mention anything.
He also used the issue of visa extensions for Chinese journalists in the United States as a threat, and took Chinese journalists hostage to exert maximum pressure on China.
Zhao Lijian pointed out that China will never take this set.
The US media reporters in China understand the above facts. They do not agree with the US government's suppression of Chinese media and media wars for political purposes, and they oppose using the media of the two countries as pawns of the game.
If the US government sincerely cares about American journalists, it should extend visas for all Chinese journalists as soon as possible, rather than kidnapping journalists from the two countries as hostages for the political interests of some politicians.
I once again urge the US to meet China halfway, show sincerity, and respond to China's normal and reasonable requests as soon as possible based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and reciprocity, especially to extend visas for all Chinese journalists stationed in the US as soon as possible.
All the options of the Chinese side are on the table, and the US side is clear to the ten sides.
If the US insists on going its own way, adding mistakes to mistakes, China can only be forced to make the necessary and legitimate responses and firmly safeguard its legitimate rights.
(CCTV reporter Zhu Ruomeng Jin Danni)