July 30, 2021
2 mins read

US voices concern over harassment of foreign journalists in China

Recently, Chinese state media hit out at foreign media for their coverage of floods in Chinese cities…reports Asian Lite News

The United States has expressed “deep concerns” with what it called increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of US and other foreign journalists in China, after correspondents of several international media outlets were reportedly heckled and booed on the streets of Henan province while covering floods.

In a statement, the US State Department said that Beijing claims to welcome foreign media and support their work but in reality, its “harsh rhetoric” toward any news it perceives to be critical of Chinese policies, has provoked negative public sentiment leading to tense, in-person confrontations and harassment, including online verbal abuse and death threats of journalists simply doing their jobs.

“Foreign journalists are increasingly refused visas to enter or remain in the PRC, severely limiting the quantity and quality of independent reporting on important issues. We call on the PRC to act as a responsible nation hoping to welcome foreign media and the world for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the state department.

Recently, after Chinese state media hit out at foreign media for their coverage of floods in Chinese cities, citizens harrassed correspondents for several international media outlets on the streets of Zhengzhou city of Henan province over the weekend.

According to a report in Hong Kong Free Press early this week, the Chinese social media platform Weibo was filled with angry posts criticising the coverage of foreign correspondents as Chinese cities witnessed heavy downpours and flooding.

The criticism was mainly aimed at BBC’s China Correspondent Robin Brant for a report that questioned government policies after a dozen people die in a train carriage amid the flooding.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under President Xi Jinping rules China with an iron fist. The media in the country is tightly controlled and journalists, who are deemed as anti-government, are punished and jailed.

According to Reporter Without Borders, China continues to be the world’s “biggest jailer of press freedom defenders”, with more the 120 currently detained in the country, “often in life-threatening conditions”.

In recent months, China has been targeting foreign journalists for highlighting the atrocities of the Chinese Communist Party and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At least 20 journalists have been expelled or forced to leave China since last year, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China has said.

The club says Beijing deploys “intimidation” tactics as part of efforts to obstruct the work of foreign reporters. (ANI)

ALSO READ: China lashes out at Blinken’s meeting with Tibetan monk

Previous Story

China lashes out at Blinken’s meeting with Tibetan monk

Next Story

Numbers on furlough fall to lowest level

Latest from -Top News

Trump unhappy with deadly strikes on Kyiv 

The president said he is “putting a lot of pressure” on both sides to end the war in Ukraine, following the deadliest attacks Kyiv has seen since last July  President Donald Trump

Macron: ‘We Stand with India’

Macron said that France will stand together with its allies and would continue the fight against terrorism wherever necessary….reports Asian Lite News French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday spoke to Prime Minister

Pakistan Slams IWT Move as ‘Act of War’

Islamabad also said that India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be considered as an “act of war”…reports Asian Lite News The high-level emergency meeting of Pakistan’s National Security

Modi: We’ll Hunt Them Down

The Prime Minister thanked nations that extended support to India in the aftermath of the terror attack…reports Asian Lite News In his first address after the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu
Go toTop

Don't Miss

China urges Philippines to tow its vessel from Ren’ai Reef

Analysts say the incident escalated an already tense situation and

Ukraine war: Macron counts on Xi ‘to bring Russia to senses’

Macron and Xi engaged in closed-door talks on Thursday, which