Accra: China on Friday condemned plans by the US government to sharply shorten the duration of visas for many foreign visitors, including journalists, calling the measures discriminatory and warning of possible countermeasures.
According to Ghana News Agency, Beijing firmly rejects the United States' 'discriminatory' treatment of certain countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. The new rules violate existing bilateral agreements on media issues and would significantly hamper the work of Chinese news organizations in the United States, Lin stated.
'China reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures,' Lin expressed. The US government announced the visa changes on Thursday, with the restrictions on journalists drawing the most attention. Under a final ruling, foreign media workers would receive visas valid for 240 days, contrasting with the previous policy that allowed them to remain in the country as long as they continued to meet eligibility requirements.
However, Chinese journalists would face even stricter limits, with the visas shortened to 90 days. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the changes to visa policy and spoke of 'thousands' of foreign journalists who may be affected. This marks the end of 'a decades-old policy enabling foreign journalists to report from the United States without fear that their visa status could be weaponized against them,' the organization said.
The proposed changes would also tighten rules for international students. In a statement, Department of Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin said the changes would overhaul an outdated system that had, for nearly 50 years, 'compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud.'