London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

China refuses to renew press cards for US journalists as media row deepens

China refuses to renew press cards for US journalists as media row deepens

Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and Getty Images staff told curbs in response to US measures against Chinese media
Chinese authorities have refused to renew the press credentials for at least five reporters for US news organisations based in China, in the latest deterioration of ties between the two countries.

Journalists from the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and Getty Images who recently attempted to renew their press cards were told they could not because of US measures against Chinese journalists in the US, according to statements and people familiar with the matter.

Instead the journalists were issued letters that gave them temporary permission to work using their expired press credentials, which are usually valid for one year. Officials indicated that the future of their press cards would depend on whether the White House allows Chinese journalists to continue working in the US.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China said it was “very alarmed” and that it expected more foreign journalists based in China to receive these letters. The organisation said permission could be revoked at any time, putting the journalists at “constant threat of expulsion”.

“The Chinese government has explicitly said the move comes in response to a looming visa expiry deadline of 6 November for Chinese journalists based in the US, most of whom work for Chinese state media,” it said in a statement on Monday. “These coercive practices have again turned accredited foreign journalists in China into pawns in a wider diplomatic conflict.”

CNN said its Beijing-based correspondent, David Culver, an American citizen, was told by Chinese officials that the restriction was a “reciprocal measure” after US decisions to limit visas by Chinese journalists in the US.

“However, our presence on the ground in China remains unchanged and we are continuing to work with local authorities to ensure that continues,” CNN said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Jeremy Page, a British reporter in its Beijing bureau was also affected by the restrictions. Both CNN and the Wall Street Journal said their reporters were told that their visas, which depend on the validity of a press card, would be renewed but shortened to two months. Getty Images declined to comment on the issue.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying posted on Twitter that the visa extension applications were “being processed”. China “would be glad to continue our excellent cooperation with the U.S. journalists here if Chinese journalists are treated fairly in the US,” she wrote.

At a regular press briefing in Beijing, spokesman Zhao Lijian said China had notified the US side of the status of the reporters’ applications and that their work and lives in China “would not be affected”.

China and the US have for months been locked in tit-for-tat retaliation over the treatment of journalists in both countries. In the first half of this year China expelled 17 journalists, many of them from the US, after the Trump administration labelled Chinese state media operating in the US as foreign missions.

In May, in response to the suppression of US journalists in China, the Trump administration limited the length of time that Chinese reporters could remain in the US to three months, with the possibility of renewal. Those visas were reportedly due to expire in November – around the same time the recently affected CNN and Wall Street Journalist journalists visas will end if they are not renewed.

Since then, reporting conditions in China have worsened further with foreign correspondents blocked from conducting interviews and followed by security agents. Some academics have said that they must go through a special approval process to speak to foreign media.

Earlier this month, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times reporting on protests in Inner Mongolia was grabbed by the throat and pushed into a cell at a police station where she was detained for four hours.

Hua Chunying, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on Thursday that the “media issue” between the US and China was one born out of a “cold war mentality”.

“If the US keeps moving down the wrong path, China has no choice but to take justifiable and necessary countermeasures to firmly uphold its legitimate rights,” she said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×