The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday condemned China’s recent move to expel 13 American journalists in response to a new visa limit imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese state-owned media in the U.S.
In a letter to the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Cui Tiankai, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas slammed what he called “ill-advised and dangerous” actions and called on the Chinese government to reverse the decision banning the journalists.
“By attempting to silence our journalists, you are serving only to build up their resolve to expose the truth; the truth you continue to obfuscate,” he wrote. “What the Foreign Ministry may believe is a projection of the CCP’s strength, is viewed in Washington and around the world as the actions of an insecure regime afraid of accountability and sunlight.”
The ranking member warned the journalist’s expulsion will have harsh implications on “one of the world’s most important bilateral relationships and undermining global security,” pointing to China’s initial efforts to downplay the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement earlier Thursday accusing the United States of “discrimination and politically-motivated oppression” against Chinese media outlets.
Mr. McCaul defended the U.S.’s visa limits and said the move seeks to “reasonably limit operations by China’s propaganda agencies in the United States.”
“They did not limit legitimate news organizations ability to operate and were long overdue,” he continued, adding praise of the State Department’s move.
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