Beijing stated that such measures by Washington “are based on Cold War prejudices and thinking”.
Chinese authorities strongly protest to the United States for increasing pressure on Chinese media operating on American territory. This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday.
“The American side is constantly increasing pressure against the Chinese media operating in the U.S. territory <…> We express our dissatisfaction and strong protest in this regard”, – he said at a regular briefing. – “We demand that the United States rectify the mistake made immediately, otherwise we will be forced to take retaliatory action.”
As the diplomat emphasized, such measures by Washington “are based on Cold War prejudices and thinking.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that the U.S. authorities will issue nonimmigrant category I visas to Chinese journalists for up to 90 days with the possibility of extension. As noted in the statement circulated, such changes to the rules are made “to achieve greater reciprocity between the United States and China.
On March 17, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the mass withdrawal of accreditation from journalists of the American newspapers The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, whose representatives were obliged to hand over their press cards. This measure was taken as a response to the State Department, which decided to reduce the number of Chinese citizens working in the Chinese state media on American territory from 160 to 100.