The United States government has introduced new rules on Chinese state-run media organizations by categorizing them as foreign missions, requiring them to register all their employees and properties with the State Department.
The decision will affect five Chinese media outlets–Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA, Incorporated– who were informed of the new rules on Tuesday. The new regulations will allow for tighter control on these entities' US operations, as they will need to secure approval before buying any property in the United States and will have to submit detailed lists of all their employees, including those who are American nationals.
The decision comes amidst increasing concerns in the US over China’s aggressive use of these entities to spread pro-Beijing propaganda. The US justice department has already pushed Chinese media outlets to register as foreign agents under separate regulations that require detailed filings of their activities. However, last month, lawmakers claimed that Xinhua News had not adhered to the requirements, casting doubt on the government’s ability to enforce such rules.
Targeting China is not new for the Trump administration, which has ramped up pressure on the country on several issues, including trade and human rights considerations in its treatment of Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims. While outlining its national security objectives in December 2017, the administration had also warned of China’s heightened use of “propaganda and other means to try to discredit democracy”.
Though there are concerns that this step will irk Beijing and force it to retaliate, State Department officials noted that while Western journalists operate in an extremely prohibitive operational environment inside China, the US will not impose any restrictions on Chinese media’s journalistic activities inside the United States.
The United States Imposes New Rules on Chinese State-Owned Media Outlets
February 19, 2020
SOURCE: FRANCE 24