Beijing Says Will Retaliate If Washington Does Not Extend Visas Of Chinese Reporters In US

BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) Beijing will be forced to take retaliatory measures concerning US reporters working in China if Washington does not extend Chinese journalists' visas and forces them to leave the country, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the Chinese Global Times newspaper, said that Beijing was prepared for the worst-case scenario, in which all Chinese journalists would have to leave the United States amid the ongoing row, and was ready to take retaliatory measures against US reporters based in Hong Kong given that Washington had not renewed the visas of Chinese journalists.

"We have repeatedly said that this situation was caused by the US side and the responsibility for it lies with the United States. The United States must immediately correct its erroneous actions and stop political pressure on the Chinese media and journalists. If the United States stands its ground, the Chinese side will be forced to take necessary and reasonable retaliatory measures to protect its legitimate interests and rights," Wang said at a briefing.

The spokesman recalled that in early May, the US limited the duration of visas granted to journalists from China to no more than three months with the possibility of further extensions, forcing them to apply for a visa extension every 90 days.

"According to our information, journalists have already applied for visa extensions, but until today, the US side has not given any clear response," Wang said, adding that Washington is seriously obstructing the normal work of the Chinese media in the United States.

Speaking about whether the retaliatory measures will affect US journalists in Hong Kong, the diplomat noted that Hong Kong was part of China, and retaliatory measures against the suppression of Chinese journalists and media in the United States were also within the competence of the central government.

Earlier this year, tensions between the United States and China escalated over the way media covered the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, Washington has repeatedly accused Beijing of mishandling and covering up the coronavirus outbreak at its initial stages, as well as censoring news related to the pandemic. In February, Washington designated as foreign missions a number of Chinese state media that led to forcing out about 60 Chinese journalists. The US authorities also required the Asian country's media outlets to notify the State Department of their current personnel and real property holdings in the United States.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in March that journalists from key US outlets � New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post � must hand in their press credentials.