London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal urge China to reconsider expulsion of US journalists

A joint letter from three news groups said the media is suffering ‘collateral damage’ from a diplomatic dispute between the two countries

In an unprecedented move, the publishers of three major American newspapers have written an open letter to the Chinese government, appealing to Beijing to reverse its decision forcing out 13 of their journalists.

The publishers of The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times said that the government’s expulsion of their journalists working in China was “threatening to deprive the world of critical information at a perilous moment”.

“We strongly urge the Chinese government to reverse its decision to force the Americans working for our news organizations to leave the country and, more broadly, to ease the growing crackdown on independent news organisations that preceded this action,” the publishers wrote, saying that the news media has become collateral damage in a diplomatic spat between the US and China.

On March 17, Beijing’s foreign ministry revoked the press credentials of American journalists from the Times, Post and Journal, giving them each 10 days to return their media passes and effectively expelling them from the country.

Beijing is also requiring the three papers, along with Voice of America and Time magazine, to share information about their staff and operations in China with the government, and has said that it would take further “reciprocal measures” on visas, administrative review, and reporting for American journalists working in the China.

If China goes through with it, the move would be the largest expulsion of journalists from the country in more than 30 years.

Tensions have been rising between the two nations, with each taking turns cracking down on the other’s foreign press.



China’s announcement was widely regarded as retaliation for the Trump administration’s recent decision to designate five Chinese media outlets working in the United States as government entities or “foreign missions” - opening them up to tighter regulation and restricting the number of Chinese nationals they could employ in the US.

In February, China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters over an opinion-piece headline, “China is the real sick man of Asia”, which it called racist.

Separately last week Beijing also revoked the licenses of Chinese citizens working as researchers and assistants at US media organisations in the country.

Chinese nationals are already not permitted to work in China as reporters for foreign media organisations, but they can be researchers and translation assistants.

In their open letter, the publishers emphasised their reporters’ role in publicising the spread of the coronavirus from its earliest cases in Wuhan, and went to lengths to spotlight their reporters’ often favorable coverage of China’s response to the virus.

“We have prominently featured news and analysis about China’s remarkable progress in reducing the spread of the virus through containment and mitigation,” they wrote.

“Even now, with some of our journalists facing imminent expulsion, they are reporting on how China is mobilizing state resources to develop vaccines that could offer hope to billions of people there and around the world.”

The letter, which was published as a full-page ad in each paper on Tuesday, represents a rare coming together for three major news rivals usually locked in fierce competition. It is the first time publishers of the three papers have made a joint public statement.

“On this matter we speak with a single voice,” wrote Journal publisher William Lewis, Post publisher Fred Ryan and Times publisher AG Sulzberger.

“We believe it is unambiguously in the interests of the people of both countries, as well as their leaders, to let journalists do their work.”

China has not officially responded to the letter and calls and emails to the Chinese embassy in Washington went unanswered on Tuesday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×