China threatens ‘countermeasures’ after DHS cuts journalists’ visa duration
The Trump governance announced a policy to reduce visa durations for foreign journalists, including Chinese nationals, prompting Beijing to threaten reciprocal actions. Specifically, a new Department of Homeland Security rule replaces the previous “duration of status” system with fixed-term stays, limiting visas to 240 days overall and only 90 days for Chinese journalists. The policy, set to take effect after 60 days, faced criticism from China and organizations advocating press freedom, which argued it hampers journalists’ ability to operate and report freely in the U.S. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the U.S. to reverse these “discriminatory policies” and warned of potential retaliatory measures. The move revives tensions that began during Trump’s presidency, which had previously restricted Chinese journalists’ visas amid escalating US-China tensions. The Biden administration later eased some restrictions, allowing Chinese journalists to stay up to a year. Homeland Security officials justified the change by citing security concerns and the risks associated with the outdated system.
The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would shorten visa durations for Chinese journalists, prompting Beijing to threaten reciprocal measures.
A new Department of Homeland Security rule will replace the long-standing “duration of status” system with fixed-term stays, limiting visas for foreign journalists to 240 days and only 90 days for Chinese journalists. The rule will take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
Recommended Stories
The change quickly drew criticism from the Chinese government.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian called on the United States to reverse what he described as “discriminatory policies” targeting Chinese journalists.
“China urges the U.S. to immediately revoke its discriminatory policies targeting Chinese journalists and effectively safeguard their lawful rights and interests in the U.S.,” Lin said at a daily briefing in Beijing. “China reserves the right to take reciprocal countermeasures.”
The measure also generated backlash from organizations dedicated to press freedom.
“We are outraged that the Trump administration has cruelly limited the duration of visas for foreign journalists from a period of up to five years to a fixed eight months,” Reporters Without Borders said in a statement. “This change destroys international journalists’ ability to report from the U.S. and makes it extremely difficult for international outlets to operate here at all.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists said the new visa policy was “the behavior of a backsliding democracy, not the international vanguard of free speech.”
The move revives a policy fight that began during President Donald Trump’s first term. In 2020, the administration moved to restrict Chinese journalist visas as tensions with Beijing escalated, including China’s expulsion of journalists from three U.S. news organizations and restrictions on American reporters operating in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Biden administration later eased those restrictions, allowing Chinese journalists to remain in the U.S. for up to a year.
CHINA SLAMS TRUMP’S ACCUSATION OF ELECTION MEDDLING: ‘ENTIRELY FABRICATED’
The Trump administration’s latest rule also restores broader concerns over the previous “duration of status” system, which DHS officials argued created national security risks.
“The outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
