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Updated February 19th, 2020 at 12:19 IST

US tightens grip on Chinese state-run media operating in the country

The US Department of State on Tuesday designated five Chinese state-run media organisations as foreign missions under the Foreign Missions Act.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
US
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The United States' Department of State has designated five Chinese state-run media organisations as foreign missions under the Foreign Missions Act. US State Department on Tuesday, during a press conference said, that it will treat the five Chinese state-run media organisations as foreign missions because they are run by the PRC government and are subject to the control in terms of content and editorial. Foreign mission, as defined by law, is an entity that is substantially owned or effectively controlled by a foreign government. 

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The officials of US State Department said that, five media organisations which are designated as foreign missions includes Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network which falls under China Central Television (CCTV), China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA, which is the distributor for the People’s Daily in the United States.

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As per senior state department official, the five organisations are now required to notify the Office of Foreign Missions within the state department of their current employees in the United States and their current real property holdings, whether they are leased or owned and will also have to inform prior to acquiring any property. The official in his statement added that these are the only two requirements that are currently in place and all of the above-mentioned entities were notified on February 18. 

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US State Department's statement

While taking a question from a reporter on why only Chinese state media were targeted particularly when there are plenty of other countries that have media outlets offering propaganda for the regime, one of the state official said, "The United States view China as a competitor and the fact of the matter is each and every single one of these entities do, in fact, work 100 percent for the Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist Party."

"This process took some time. Obviously, we considered it very carefully, but we think it’s altogether appropriate that we basically call these entities what they are, which are organs of the Chinese one-party state propaganda apparatus," the official added. 

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Published February 19th, 2020 at 12:19 IST

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