The United States on Wednesday tightened rules on six more Chinese media organizations, saying that they are propaganda outlets that answer to the state.
The fresh move against Chinese media was met with anger in Beijing, which said it would take “necessary” countermeasures, without specifying which US outlets it might target inside its territory.
It was the third round of US designations of Chinese outlets as “foreign missions,” which requires them to report details on their US-based staff and real estate transactions to the State Department.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news conference Wednesday that the affected outlets will face no restrictions on their reporting.
“While free media around the world are beholden to the truth, PRC media are beholden to the CCP,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said, referring to the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
“The United States is publicly recognizing that reality through these designations,” she said.
The six organizations newly designated as foreign missions are Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, Beijing Review and Economic Daily.