China ‘using visas as weapons’ against foreign journalists, says press group
- Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China fears Beijing will expel more journalists after three Wall Street Journal reporters were told to leave last month
- Group says number of short-term visas given to journalists last year was more than double that of 2018
The Chinese government is threatening to take visas away from journalists as a way of intimidating foreign media “like never before”, a press group said on Monday, following the expulsion of three reporters last month.
In its annual report, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China said it also feared Beijing was preparing to expel more reporters, with two journalists this year given working visas of a month.
At least 12 correspondents received press credentials valid for six months or less – more than double the number given short-term visas the previous year, in what the FCCC said was a record.
Resident journalist visas, which are mandatory for all foreign media based in mainland China, are typically issued for a year.
“Chinese authorities are using visas as weapons against the foreign press like never before,” the report said, pointing to a “continued decline in reporting conditions”.
Since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013, China had forced out nine foreign journalists, either through outright expulsion or by non-renewal of visas, the FCCC said.