David Stilwell, deputy secretary of the State Department for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said on Monday that China Central Television, China News Service, People's Daily and Global Times should release details on their American personnel and on the nature of their American real estate assets. the State Department.
"These entities are not independent news organizations; they are effectively controlled by the Chinese Communist Party ... also known as the propaganda media," said Stilwell. "In addition ... our action will increase transparency in the control of information, not only among their state propaganda bodies, but also between legitimate journalists and news gatherings in China."
This is the second time that the United States has designated the Chinese media as foreign entities, forcing it to abide by the rules and regulations that cover diplomatic missions.
The designations come as American-Chinese relations are bogged down in the acrimony of trade, the future of Hong Kong and the coronavirus pandemic. With general elections just over four months away, President Donald Trump's re-election prospects uncertain and the global economy in shambles due to the virus, there is pressure inside the White House and among allies Presidential Republicans to blame China and point out its failure to act quickly and transparently to prevent the virus from spreading in a global pandemic.
"While the Chinese Communist Party has always tightly controlled Chinese state news agencies, its control has tightened in recent years, decades, in particular," said Mr. Stilwell.
"These people do more than propaganda, don't they, and to understand exactly what it is, we need to know who they are. It's about understanding what's going on inside your own country; we are a free nation, "added Stilwell.
China has expelled journalists from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
Asked about the effectiveness of this effort, given China's retaliation for expelling US journalists the last time the State Department took this action, Stilwell said, "The Chinese government is doing what it does. You can't say they do it specifically because we do it to them. It's just an excuse. "
While Stilwell and State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus pointed to the Chinese media's lack of freedom, contrasting it favorably with the American media, Ortagus would not allow a question on Bolton's book, which also portrays Trump as trying to win Xi's favor.
CNN's Vivian Salama contributed to this report.
