Chinese journalists in limbo in the U.S.
More than 100 Chinese news media employees in the U.S. are caught in a heated dispute between Beijing and Washington over the rights of foreign journalists.
Yuhui Chai, a New York-based correspondent who covers technology for SunTV, a Hong Kong news outlet, has decided to leave her job to return to China because she is unable to secure a long-term U.S. visa. Others are doing the same — or, under growing scrutiny, are considering changing jobs.
Context: The American government has put new limits on the number of employees of Chinese state media organizations, and shortened the length of visas. China has expelled 17 foreign journalists, including some from The Times, and frozen the credentials of others. The t**-for-tat moves risk cutting off a critical source of insight into both Chinese and American societies.
A counterpoint: While a majority of Chinese journalists in the U.S. work for the Chinese government’s news outlets, others represent more commercially minded organizations that strive to produce in-depth journalism. Though they have to abide by China’s strict censorship rules, they can help balance out the Communist Party’s propaganda machine back home.
The New York Times
