‘Political oppression’: China hints at payback for US limits on Chinese state media

Chinese foreign ministry says US action against five Chinese news groups will harm ties between the two countries

US secretary of state says personnel caps are response to Beijing’s expulsion of Wall Street Journal reporters

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Washington has given five Chinese media outlets until Friday to say which staff they will retain in the US under new personnel limits. Photo: AP

Published: 3:58pm, 3 Mar 2020Updated: 11:28pm, 3 Mar 2020

China signalled it will retaliate against the United States for cutting the number of Chinese people allowed to work in US bureaus of major Chinese state-owned media.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that the US was conducting “political oppression” on Chinese media in the US, and the move would seriously harm ties between the two countries.

“The Americans broke the rules of the game first, and we have to follow,” he said.

He accused the US Department of State of making the decision based on a cold war mindset and ideological bias, and showing hypocrisy about freedom of press.

The US Department of State said on Monday that the employment restrictions would apply to five organisations the administration of US President Donald Trump considers propaganda arms of the Chinese government. The restrictions are expected to reduce the number of their US-based Chinese employees to around 100 from 160 now.

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