China hits back at Washington's "suppression of Chinese media" with new media restrictions

China has responded with restrictions targeting four US news organizations.

Within seven days Associated Press, United Press International, CBS News, and NPR News will have to submit relevant documents about their activities in the Asian country to the Chinese authorities.

The media targeted by the measure will have to submit paperwork regarding their activities to the Chinese authorities within seven days, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday during a press conference.

“China is compelled to take these measures to counter the US’ unreasonable suppression of Chinese media in the US. They are entirely self-defense. ” said Zhao.

Beijing’s response was triggered after the US administration labeled four Chinese national media offices in the US (Xinhua, CCTV and the subsidiary China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily and the parent company of People’s Daily, Hai Tian Development USA) as “foreign missions”, requiring them to declare details of their finances and staffing in the country.

According to the Americans, these foreign media are directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

According to David Stilwell, assistant secretary of the State Department for Eastern Asia and Pacific Affairs, measures have been taken because the American administration considers these media to be propaganda tools “effectively controlled by the Chinese Communist Party”.

Zhao Lijian said that American measures are based on a cold war mentality and ideological prejudices. “They have seriously damaged the reputation and image of the Chinese media, seriously damaging their operations in the United States.”

The Chinese decision comes hours after the unilateral imposition of Hong Kong’s controversial new national security law.

By the beginning of the year, Beijing had already expelled numerous journalists from major media organizations, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, after the United States had limited the number of permits for Chinese journalists to the USA.

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