China opposes ‘political suppression’ of Xinhua reporter in U.S

BEIJING, June 1 (Reuters) – China firmly opposes the “suppression” of a reporter for the official Xinhua news agency who is based in the United States, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

The United States is using the pretext of so-called reciprocity to “politically suppress” the Xinhua reporter, who is working there legally, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press conference, without giving details.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding media issues between China and the United States are crystal-clear: the root cause lies in the U.S. side’s unilateral provocation and politicisation of media matters,” said Lin.

The U.S. embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Xinhua, the state-run Chinese news agency, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

On Friday, the New York Times said one of its reporters, Vivian Wang, had been expelled from China this year after the newspaper’s interview with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.

The paper cited an explanation from Chinese officials that it was in response to its DealBook summit’s December video interview with Lai, and said Wang did not take part.

Wang did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and Lai as a “separatist.” He rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Raju Gopalakrishnan)