China hits back at 'unjustifiable accusations' after White House said US deeply concerned by restrictions on foreign journalists

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

China has hit back at the US for criticising its handling of foreign media, denying it had forced a New York Times journalist to leave.

"China expresses its displeasure. China does not accept the unjustifiable accusations by the US side, and demands the US side to respect facts and take cautious words and acts," said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei in a statement carried by state news agency Xinhua.

Austin Ramzy flew to Taiwan on Thursday after waiting more than six months for Beijing to issue him new accreditation as New York Times journalist and an accompanying visa. He had spent six years reporting on the mainland, most recently for Time magazine.

The New York Times has not been able to obtain visas for new employees since publishing a story about the wealth of then-premier Wen Jiabao in 2012. Other staff have experienced delays during the annual renewal of visas.

The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said on Thursday the US was disappointed Ramzy had been forced to leave China because of visa delays and deeply concerned by restrictions faced by foreign journalists, “including extended delays in processing journalist visas, restrictions on travel to certain locations deemed ‘sensitive’ by Chinese authorities and, in some cases, violence at the hands of local authorities".

He said such treatment was in “stark contrast” to the way the US treated foreign media.

Some in the US have begun to press for reciprocity, arguing the government should exert pressure by denying visas to Chinese journalists.

Noting that US journalists had waited months or years for a decision on their credentials and visa, Carney said the administration had raised concerns about the treatment of foreign media “repeatedly and at the highest levels”.

“We urge China to commit to timely visa and credentialing decisions for foreign journalists, unblock US media websites, and eliminate other restrictions that impede the ability of journalists to practice their profession,” he added.

The New York Times and Bloomberg websites have been blocked in China since running stories about the wealth of Wen and president Xi Jinping’s families, respectively. Those of the Guardian, the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists and several other major news organisations have been inaccessible since publishing revelations about the offshore wealth of leaders' families last week.

But Hong said Carney’s statement “does not accord with facts” and that China followed its laws and regulations in dealing with foreign media.

He added: “It does not exist at all that Ramzy has been 'deported' or 'forced' to leave China.”

Ramzy handed back his accreditation for Time to the foreign ministry in May. Hong said the application for New York Times credentials “has not been approved yet”.

By failing to apply to change his visa type and residence permit while without press accreditation, Ramzy broke Chinese laws and regulations, he added.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China has described that argument as disingenuous, arguing that the rules were unclear and had not been applied to other journalists in similar situations to Ramzy.

The visa Ramzy obtained while working for Time expired at the end of last year and he was given a 30-day non-working visa so he had time to arrange his departure - testifying to the way that China facilitated foreign journalists, Hong said.

He said it would continue to welcome overseas media, adding: "We also hope that foreign journalists observe Chinese laws and regulations and do news coverage in an objective and fair-minded way.”