US ‘deeply concerned’ after China denies BuzzFeed reporter visa
Embassy highlights concerns over press freedom after Megha Rajagopalan, who had covered sensitive topics such as human rights and the plight of the Uygur minority, was forced to leave country
The US embassy in Beijing said on Friday it was “deeply concerned” about Chinese government restrictions on foreign and domestic journalists after authorities refused to issue a new visa for an American correspondent for BuzzFeed News.
Reporter Megha Rajagopalan was forced to leave the country after her visa application was denied.
Media freedom advocates say the move raises concerns China was punishing her for her work on subjects considered sensitive by the communist government.
China says it handles all visa issues in accordance with the law and has denied cancelling Rajagopalan’s visa, saying on Thursday that unlike other accredited journalists, she was not a resident correspondent, indicating that she had been on short-term visas.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, dismissed as speculation questions about whether the move was made in retaliation for her reporting.