China tweaks rules on US media outlets in tit-for-tat move

中國賭氣針對美國媒體而調整法規

US organizations must report about staff, finances, operations, real estate to Chinese authorities


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Beijing has responded to Washington’s latest move to designate six more Chinese media outlets as “foreign missions” by demanding six U.S. media outlets in China to report to the government on their operations within one week.

The American outlets affected are the American Broadcast Corporation (ABC), the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Feature Story News, the Bureau of National Affairs, and Minnesota Public Radio, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (Oct. 26), per Reuters.

"In total disregard of China’s legitimate and reasonable demand and solemn warning, [the U.S.] insistently ramped up political repression and stigmatization of Chinese media agencies and personnel," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) said in the statement.

“In response, China demands that the China-based branches of [the six U.S. news outlets] declare in written form information about their staff, finance, operation, and real estate in China within seven calendar days from today,” Zhao said. “China urges the United States to immediately change course, undo the damage, and stop its political oppression and arbitrary restrictions on Chinese media organizations. Should it choose to further go down the wrong path, it could expect more countermeasures from China,” he added.

Last Wednesday (Oct. 21), the U.S. announced that the State Department was listing six-more Chinese news organizations as foreign missions. The new designations were given to Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, the Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, the Beijing Review, and the Economic Daily.

It was the third round of U.S. designations on Chinese media organizations, which requires them to give details on their U.S.-based staff and real estate dealings to the State Department, according to The Guardian. Fifteen Chinese media outlets have been listed as foreign missions this year.

Beijing has retaliated by kicking out American journalists working in China for major news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.