The State Department has issued new limits on the number of Chinese journalists who can work for five China-run news organizations, escalating a diplomatic feud between the two countries.
The new restrictions were announced on Monday. While they won’t result in the direct expulsion of Chinese reporters, they could force some to leave if their visas are tethered to the media group they work for, according to the New York Times. There are currently 160 Chinese nationals working at the five outlets, but that number will now be capped at 100.
The rule only applies to media companies the United States considers propaganda outlets: Xinhua, CGTN, China Radio, China Daily, and People’s Daily. The decrease would force the organizations to decide which Chinese workers to keep on staff unless the employees are able to obtain a different type of visa.
According to the State Department, the move is meant to punish the Chinese government for its poor record on press freedom toward foreign reporters from the U.S. and other countries. Last month, China revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters as punishment for an opinion piece that the country deemed discriminatory. The expulsions marked the first time the country had forced out foreign journalists in more than two decades.
Prior to the Monday decision, U.S. officials were weighing what punitive action to take against China. Some in the White House reportedly wanted to expel dozens of journalists, while other officials were concerned that doing so would be received poorly because of the Constitution’s right to freedom of the press.
In addition to the Wall Street Journal revocations, China has let the visas of multiple reporters who are seen as critical of its government to expire. The decision to expel the three journalists was made just a day after the U.S. said it would consider the five Chinese news organizations as functionaries of a foreign government, similar to how it sees foreign diplomats.
