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BEIJING: China warned on Monday (May 11) that it will take countermeasures in response to a US decision to tighten visa guidelines against Chinese journalists and urged the United States to “correct its mistake” immediately.
Last week, the United States issued a new rule limiting visas for Chinese journalists to a period of 90 days, with the option of an extension, which will take effect on Monday. Such visas are typically open and do not need to be extended, unless the employee moves to a different company or medium.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing in Beijing that China deplored and rejected the United States’ decision, which Zhao called an escalation of repression against Chinese media.
READ: United States Tightens Visa Rules for Chinese Journalists Amid Coronavirus Tensions
“We are decidedly opposed and very dissatisfied with this,” said Zhao.
“We demand that the United States immediately correct its mistake, or China will have no choice but to take countermeasures.”
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The United States and China have participated in a series of retaliatory actions involving journalists in recent months.
In March, China expelled American journalists from three American newspapers, a month after the United States said it would start treating five Chinese state media entities with U.S. operations as foreign embassies.
READ: China Says WSJ Reporter in Wuhan May Stay in Country Until End of Epidemic
China previously kicked out three Wall Street Journal reporters, two Americans and one Australian, after the newspaper published an opinion column calling China “the real sick man from Asia.”
In issuing the new regulation on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security cited what it called the “suppression of independent journalism” in China.
“Over a period of time, the United States has stuck to the Cold War mindset and ideological bias, and has continually stepped up its suppression of the Chinese media,” said Zhao.
“They are now using visas to take discriminatory limitations, severely disrupting the ability of the Chinese media to report normally in the United States, severely disrupting person-to-person relations between our two countries.”“
