April 26, 2024

Press Freedom

China

Press Freedom Groups Condemn China’s Expulsion of Chris Buckley

China effectively expelled Chris Buckley, a longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times, on May 8 after authorities rejected his request to renew his visa. The Australian native recently spent 76 days in Wuhan reporting on the COVID-19 crisis and has been based in China for the past 24 years. Chinese state media has attacked him personally in recent months for his reporting on the epidemic, which included government secrecy and delays in the fight against the virus, as well as public outrage over the death of whistleblower, Li Wenliang. Press freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders (RWB) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the move and called for China to stop using visa rejections in retaliation against journalists.