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Chinese Foreign Office spokesman Zhao Lijian: "All options are on the table"
Photo: GREG BAKER / AFP
For months, China and the USA have been imposing sanctions on each other, and on several occasions the issue has been the work permit for journalists from the other country.
The government in Beijing is now threatening to expel additional American media correspondents.
"All options are on the table," said Foreign Office spokesman Zhao Lijian at a press conference.
But China doesn't want it to happen.
He confirmed reports that the State Department had not renewed accreditation for some US media correspondents.
The US news channel CNN, the "Wall Street Journal" and the photo agency Getty were named.
According to the Reuters news agency, the Bloomberg media service is also affected.
Instead of the press cards, which are usually valid for one year, at least five journalists only received letters with which they can extend their visas until the beginning of November.
Thereafter, the deportation threatens.
CNN reporter David Culver said it was a "reciprocal action" in response to how Chinese journalists were treated in the US.
Against the background of growing tensions between the two countries, the USA has significantly restricted the freedom of movement for Chinese journalists in the USA in recent months.
The reason for this is the deteriorating working conditions for foreign correspondents in China and the fact that Chinese journalists in the USA mostly work for state media or communist propaganda organs.
China complains that around 60 Chinese journalists had to leave the country in March because of the new US caps.
In May, the US authorities also limited the length of stay to 90 days - with the possibility of extension.
In August this was not granted, but no expulsion was ordered either.
According to US reports, this is de facto an extension of 90 days.
The deadline for the Chinese journalists is the beginning of November.
In this context, according to Chinese sources, the USA is now demanding that China allow around ten correspondents from the US media who had to leave the country in the spring to return to work in response to the expulsion of the 60 Chinese journalists.
They are reporters for the "Wall Street Journal", the "Washington Post" and the "New York Times".
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mes / dpa / Reuters