BEIJING — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. sharply criticized the Chinese government’s crackdown on the foreign press, telling an audience of American business people Thursday that the United States had “profound disagreements” with its “treatment of U.S. journalists.”
“Innovation thrives where people breathe freely, speak freely, are able to challenge orthodoxy, where newspapers can report the truth without fear of consequences,” Mr. Biden declared, a day after he met with President Xi Jinping on contentious security issues.
Mr. Biden raised the issue of the government’s treatment of foreign reporters with Mr. Xi, a senior administration official said.
The Chinese authorities have held up renewing the accreditation of roughly two dozen correspondents from The New York Times and Bloomberg News in the wake of the publication of investigative articles about the wealth of the families of top Chinese leaders.
The government’s actions, which appear aimed at the news organizations rather than at individual reporters, threaten to shut down the China news bureaus of The Times and Bloomberg, as well as harm their business operations in the country.
Mr. Biden on Thursday kept up the public pressure on China over its declaration of an air defense zone in the contested waters of the East China Sea.
The Chinese authorities have held up renewing the accreditation of roughly two dozen correspondents from The New York Times and Bloomberg News in the wake of the publication of investigative articles about the wealth of the families of top Chinese leaders.
The government’s actions, which appear aimed at the news organizations rather than at individual reporters, threaten to shut down the China news bureaus of The Times and Bloomberg, as well as harm their business operations in the country.
Mr. Biden on Thursday kept up the public pressure on China over its declaration of an air defense zone in the contested waters of the East China Sea.
The zone, which has drawn fierce protests from Japan and sowed fears of a clash between the two countries, was a major focus of the five and a half hours of meetings on Wednesday between Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi.
“China’s recent and sudden announcement of the establishment of a new air defense identification zone has, to state the obvious, caused significant apprehension in the region,” Mr. Biden said.
“China’s recent and sudden announcement of the establishment of a new air defense identification zone has, to state the obvious, caused significant apprehension in the region,” Mr. Biden said.
“I was very direct about our firm position and our expectations in my conversation with Mr. Xi.”
Mr. Biden urged China to refrain from steps that would raise tensions and he said the Chinese government needed to communicate better with its neighbors to avoid accidents or miscalculation.
Mr. Biden urged China to refrain from steps that would raise tensions and he said the Chinese government needed to communicate better with its neighbors to avoid accidents or miscalculation.
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