No China visa for New York Times, Bloomberg scribes
11 Dec 2013 5:16 AM IST
If authorities do not soon start approving renewals for visas due to expire by the end of the year, it would effectively shut down or significantly curtail the two organizations’ news-gathering operations in the country.
The Foreign Correspondents Club of China said in an emailed statement to members on Monday that none of the correspondents working for The Times and Bloomberg in China have been able to renew their residence visas for next year. ‘The authorities have given no public explanation for their actions, leading to the impression that they have been taken in reprisal for reporting that displeased the government,’ the statement said.
A Bloomberg spokesperson in Singapore declined comment while The Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing’s Public Security Bureau, which grants residence permits, did not respond to a faxed list of questions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday at a regular briefing that China’s treatment of foreign journalists consistently follows laws and regulations.
US Vice President Joe Biden met with US journalists working in Beijing during his visit last week and publicly criticized their treatment by the Chinese government.
The Foreign Correspondents Club of China said in an emailed statement to members on Monday that none of the correspondents working for The Times and Bloomberg in China have been able to renew their residence visas for next year. ‘The authorities have given no public explanation for their actions, leading to the impression that they have been taken in reprisal for reporting that displeased the government,’ the statement said.
A Bloomberg spokesperson in Singapore declined comment while The Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing’s Public Security Bureau, which grants residence permits, did not respond to a faxed list of questions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday at a regular briefing that China’s treatment of foreign journalists consistently follows laws and regulations.
US Vice President Joe Biden met with US journalists working in Beijing during his visit last week and publicly criticized their treatment by the Chinese government.
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