China Reportedly Not Renewing Press Credentials For Certain Journalists Working For American Media

Sep 7, 2020

The Chinese Communist Party is apparently not renewing the credentials of certain journalists who work for American media companies, issuing letters that grant temporary status that can be revoked, according to a group of individuals who work within the media.

The group in question, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China, took to Twitter and said it’s “very alarmed that Chinese authorities have stopped renewing press credentials for journalists working at US news organizations.”

via Daily Caller:

Affected journalists include individuals who work at The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and CNN, according to the FCCC. These journalists were not allowed press credentials, and the letter given to them that allows them to work can be revoked at any time, the FCCC added.

“The Chinese government has explicitly said the move comes in response to a looming visa expiry deadline of November 6 for Chinese journalists based in the US, most of whom work for Chinese state media,” the FCCC tweeted. “These coercive practices have again turned accredited foreign journalists in China into pawns in a wider diplomatic conflict. The FCCC calls on the Chinese govt [sic] to halt this cycle of tit-for-tat reprisals in what is quickly becoming the darkest year yet for media freedoms.”

9/ This comes in addition to increasing harassment and surveillance of foreign journalists, including physical assault and cyber attacks, documented in distressing detail in the FCCC’s annual working conditions report.

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— Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (@fccchina) September 7, 2020

Tensions have been escalating between the United States and China for some time now, much of which is likely the result of the CCP refusing to take responsibility for causing the spread of the coronavirus that has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and nearly destroyed the world economy.

Many moves between the two countries have been made since March, when China stated it would expel American media from the country. In May, the Department of Homeland Security said that Chinese journalists would no longer be able to get open visas. They would have to get 90-day visas instead, if they weren’t already working for American media companies.