According to reports from the Beijing Daily app, on June 3, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning presided over a regular press conference.
A reporter asked, and a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said, The current U.S. government has a strong commitment to freedom of speech. It does not accept that China continues to treat U.S. media in a way that lacks fairness. The spokesperson also stated that China has long imposed various restrictions on journalists working in China, including U.S. journalists. What is Chinas comment on this?
Previously, my colleagues have already stated their positions regarding these issues. Mao Ning said that the US side mentioned equal treatment, which is precisely what China is concerned about. The initiator of the issue involving Chinese and American media is the US side. Since the two sides reached three agreements, China has fully implemented measures to provide visa-related conveniences for American journalists who come to China for interviews and reporting. However, Chinese journalists have faced severe restrictions in their rights to conduct normal interviews. Almost no Chinese journalists have been given opportunities to interview at the White House in person. Visa applications are often delayed without reason, and many journalists are forced to return to their home countries. When Chinese journalists apply for short-term interviews in the US, they rarely get approval. Is this really equal treatment?
Mao Ning continued to question. The US claims to have freedom of speech, but Chinese media in the US are labeled as foreign agents or foreign missions under political labels. Is this what the US means by freedom of speech?
On June 1st, during a regular press conference hosted by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, a reporter from Asahi TV asked: The New York Times reports that one of their journalists was expelled from China. What is the comment of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on this matter?
Lin Jian stated that The New York Times provides a platform for the Taiwanese authorities to spread separatist claims regarding Taiwan independence. Moreover, The New York Times openly refers to the Chinese region of Taiwan as a country. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the United States. It sends a grave signal to those who advocate for Taiwan independence. The Chinese side firmly opposes such actions. The New York Times should correct its mistakes, rather than continuing to act without any remorse or willingness to change its course.
Lin Jian said that the journalist you mentioned had solid records of fraudulent interviews during his stay in China. This constituted a violation of the Regulations on the Work of Foreign Resident News Agencies and the Interviews of Foreign Journalists. Accordingly, China has revoked his residency permit in accordance with laws and regulations. We note that the United States uses the so-called mutualism as a pretext to politically suppress Xinhua journalists who are legally working in the US. China firmly opposes such actions.
