China News Service, Beijing, September 9 (Li Jingze) In response to US State Department Spokesperson Ortegas’ accusation that China intimidated foreign journalists in China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on the 9th that this is typical Confuse right and wrong, and beat it upside down.
US State Department spokesperson Ortegas tweeted on the 8th that the US State Department has been working for many years to persuade China to allow US journalists to return to China, give the US media the freedom to resume normal operations, and stop intimidating and harassing foreign journalists.
China has no public and independent news reports.
She also cited relevant reports from the "Foreign Journalists Association in China" to support her view.
Some reporters asked China to respond.
Zhao Lijian said that the accusations made by relevant US officials against China are totally unwarranted, and they are a typical case of confusing right and wrong.
The problem she said does not exist at all.
"Except for the American media reporters who left China because China was forced to take countermeasures against the United States, which American media's normal operation freedom in China was affected? Which American reporter returned to China was affected?" He asked rhetorically.
He pointed out that the history, latitude, right and wrong of what happened in China and the United States in the media field is clear.
The US has always been the first to unreasonably suppress the Chinese media, and the Chinese are forced to make a proper response later.
The U.S. officials should explain this honestly.
Zhao Lijian said that from registering as a "foreign agent" to being listed as a "foreign mission", from unreasonably delaying and denying visas for more than 20 Chinese journalists, to expelling more than 60 Chinese media reporters in the United States in disguised form, to reducing visas for all Chinese journalists. After staying for three months, the US tried to take the Chinese journalists as "hostages" and repeatedly pressured China.
The US's escalating repressive actions have caused serious interference to the normal work and life of Chinese media reporters in the United States, and also caused serious damage to the normal people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Zhao Lijian said that the environment for foreign media reporters in China is open and free, and their rights to report in accordance with the law are fully guaranteed. The Chinese government continues to provide foreign media in China with various interview opportunities.
Whether it is major domestic events such as the National Two Sessions, or major diplomatic events such as the G20 summit and foreign leaders' visits to China, China has strived to provide foreign journalists with various coverage facilities by setting up press centers and organizing interviews.
He asked again, “If they are always subjected to the so-called intimidation and harassment by the US, why are there so many foreign media and reporters in China? If China does not have open and independent news reports, why are foreign media in China involved? Is China reporting so rich and diverse?"
As for the relevant organization mentioned by the US official, Zhao Lijian pointed out that China has never recognized it. It was pieced together by a small number of journalists who were biased against China and could not represent the true voice of nearly 500 foreign journalists in China.
It is no longer a day or two for this so-called organization to distort facts and discredit China's interview environment.
"When the U.S. expelled and refused to sign Chinese journalists in the United States in disguise, what was the voice of this so-called organization? When the U.S. unreasonably restricted the visa stay period of Chinese journalists and has not extended the visa to any Chinese reporter so far, has this so-called organization said something? To be fair?" Zhao Lijian said.
On the other hand, the US has attacked and suppressed others and always wanted to establish a moral memorial for itself. This is the consistent behavior of individual US politicians and officials, but lies can never become facts, and disguise will always be torn down.
The United States always talks about freedom of the press and independent reporting, but it arbitrarily interferes with reporters from various countries in reporting on the United States, and even fights against them.
According to Zhao Lijian, according to the statistics of the US Press Freedom Tracking System, from May 26 to June 10, a total of 405 violations of press freedom occurred in 64 cities in the United States, including 58 arrests and 86 attacks. Individual US politicians The so-called freedom of the press by officials is only an excuse for them to discredit and suppress media reporters, which fully exposes their naked double standards and the nature of bullying.
Zhao Lijian emphasized that China's basic national policy of opening up to the outside world has not changed, nor will it change.
We always welcome media and journalists from various countries to engage in reporting work in China in accordance with laws and regulations, and will continue to provide them with convenience and assistance.
What we oppose is the ideological prejudice against China, what we oppose is the use of so-called freedom of the press to concoct fake news, and what we oppose is behavior that violates journalistic professional ethics.
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