State Dept decision means news bodies face same restrictions as diplomats

Beijing condemned on Wednesday the US State Department's decision to designate five major Chinese news organizations that have US operations as "foreign government functionaries".

"We urge the US to immediately stop these ill-advised measures, and we reserve the right to take further measures in response," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during the ministry's online news conference.

The designation, which took effect immediately, will subject the media organizations－People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International, China Global Television Network and China Daily－to similar rules as diplomats stationed in the country.

They will be required to report all personnel in the United States to the US State Department and register any US property holdings, whether leased or owned, according to US media reports.

Geng said that the media plays an important role in facilitating communication and understanding between the peoples of different countries.

The Chinese media's resident offices in the US have long been covering news following the principles of objectivity, impartiality, truth and accuracy, he said.

"They have helped to promote mutual understanding, communication and cultural exchange between our two countries," Geng said, noting that the US is restricting Chinese media outlets' normal operations there.

"This is unjustified and unacceptable. We urge the US to discard its ideological prejudice and Cold War zero-sum game mentality, and stop ill-advised measures that undermine bilateral trust and cooperation," he said.

Also during Wednesday's press conference, Geng told reporters that some foreign enterprises have started to resume production as China is making efforts to minimize the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Honeywell, a well-known US manufacturer, told Chinese financial news outlet Yicai that its 21 factories in China have all resumed work.

More than 1,000 employees have returned to work at US electric carmaker Tesla's factory in Shanghai, according to Yicai.

Geng said that related Chinese departments are helping to solve the practical problems that foreign companies encounter in investment, production and business.