By Malcolm Moore
The New York Times has invested significantly in its China operations over the last few years
Twenty four foreign journalists working for the New York Times and Bloomberg could be forced to leave China in the coming weeks after officials stalled over renewing their visas.
While China has denied or delayed visas to individual journalists in the past, it is the first time that the staff of two entire organisations have been threatened.
The situation is grave enough that Joe Biden, the US vice-president, met with the journalists concerned in Beijing on Thursday.
Earlier, he told an audience of American businessmen in the Chinese capital that he had expressed "profound disagreements" to Chinese officials over their "treatment of US journalists".
In the absence of a last-minute change of heart by the Chinese government, the process of expulsion is likely to begin in fewer than two weeks and conclude at the end of December, as journalist visas expire one by one.
All journalists working in China are required to renew their press accreditation and their visa at the end of each year.
At Bloomberg, one journalist said he was not aware that anyone in the newsroom had been given new press credentials, the initial step required for a new visa.
At the New York Times, journalists who applied for press credentials were granted them until shortly after an article by David Barboza on November 13 exposing the links between JP Morgan and the daughter of Wen Jiabao, the former prime minister, was published.
"After that, no one got a new press card," said one journalist, who asked not to be named.
The New York Times has invested significantly in its China operations over the last few years
Twenty four foreign journalists working for the New York Times and Bloomberg could be forced to leave China in the coming weeks after officials stalled over renewing their visas.
While China has denied or delayed visas to individual journalists in the past, it is the first time that the staff of two entire organisations have been threatened.
The situation is grave enough that Joe Biden, the US vice-president, met with the journalists concerned in Beijing on Thursday.
Earlier, he told an audience of American businessmen in the Chinese capital that he had expressed "profound disagreements" to Chinese officials over their "treatment of US journalists".
In the absence of a last-minute change of heart by the Chinese government, the process of expulsion is likely to begin in fewer than two weeks and conclude at the end of December, as journalist visas expire one by one.
All journalists working in China are required to renew their press accreditation and their visa at the end of each year.
At Bloomberg, one journalist said he was not aware that anyone in the newsroom had been given new press credentials, the initial step required for a new visa.
At the New York Times, journalists who applied for press credentials were granted them until shortly after an article by David Barboza on November 13 exposing the links between JP Morgan and the daughter of Wen Jiabao, the former prime minister, was published.
"After that, no one got a new press card," said one journalist, who asked not to be named.
He added that New York Times journalists who had taken their press credentials to apply for a new visa were turned away.
"We have had a few people have their passports returned [ ...] with words to the effect that the Foreign ministry is not giving out visas to the New York Times," he said, adding that it was not made clear whether the ban was a temporary halt or a more serious rejection.
In the past, Chinese officials have made some journalists sweat by delaying their approval until the very last minute.
The New York Times has invested significantly in its China operations over the last few years, expanding its staff, moving to a new office and establishing a Chinese-language website.
However, an article last October exposing the secret £1.65 billion fortune of the family of the then prime minister, Wen Jiabao, enraged the Chinese government, which has since censored both the English and Chinese websites and denied journalist visas for two incoming staff.
Bloomberg, meanwhile, recently released one of its most senior investigative reporters and allegedly self-censored an article that it felt might have incurred similar wrath.
Unnamed employees at Bloomberg told the New York Times that Matthew Winkler, the chief editor, compared working in China to Nazi-era Germany.
"He said: 'If we run the story, we'll be kicked out of China,'" one of the employees said.
An earlier Bloomberg report on the family wealth of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, saw the company suffer as Chinese banks reportedly cancelled purchases of its financial information terminals.
This week, David Cameron made a formal complaint after a Bloomberg journalist was barred from his press conference with Li Keqiang, the Chinese prime minister.
A spokesman for the United States embassy said that diplomats are in "continual" discussions with their Chinese counterparts to urge them "to respect internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms".
"We are deeply concerned that foreign journalists in China face restrictions that impede their ability to do their jobs, including extended delays in processing visas, restrictions on access to 'sensitive' locations and individuals and pressure on local staff," said Nolan Barkhouse, the spokesman.
"We have had a few people have their passports returned [ ...] with words to the effect that the Foreign ministry is not giving out visas to the New York Times," he said, adding that it was not made clear whether the ban was a temporary halt or a more serious rejection.
In the past, Chinese officials have made some journalists sweat by delaying their approval until the very last minute.
The New York Times has invested significantly in its China operations over the last few years, expanding its staff, moving to a new office and establishing a Chinese-language website.
However, an article last October exposing the secret £1.65 billion fortune of the family of the then prime minister, Wen Jiabao, enraged the Chinese government, which has since censored both the English and Chinese websites and denied journalist visas for two incoming staff.
Bloomberg, meanwhile, recently released one of its most senior investigative reporters and allegedly self-censored an article that it felt might have incurred similar wrath.
Unnamed employees at Bloomberg told the New York Times that Matthew Winkler, the chief editor, compared working in China to Nazi-era Germany.
"He said: 'If we run the story, we'll be kicked out of China,'" one of the employees said.
An earlier Bloomberg report on the family wealth of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, saw the company suffer as Chinese banks reportedly cancelled purchases of its financial information terminals.
This week, David Cameron made a formal complaint after a Bloomberg journalist was barred from his press conference with Li Keqiang, the Chinese prime minister.
A spokesman for the United States embassy said that diplomats are in "continual" discussions with their Chinese counterparts to urge them "to respect internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms".
"We are deeply concerned that foreign journalists in China face restrictions that impede their ability to do their jobs, including extended delays in processing visas, restrictions on access to 'sensitive' locations and individuals and pressure on local staff," said Nolan Barkhouse, the spokesman.
"Chinese and foreign journalists and academics should be allowed to operate freely."
0 comments:
Post a Comment