中国国営メディア５社、米国内で活動する中国人従業員半減へ　米当局が方針

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米当局は2日、中国国営メディア5社について、米国内での活動を認める中国人従業員数を半数近く削減する方針を発表した。新たな上限は今月13日から適用される。（写真は資料写真）
　今回の措置について米当局は、双方の国内で活動する報道関係者数のバランスを取るためだと説明しているが、２週間前には中国で米紙ウォールストリート・ジャーナルの記者３人が国外退去を命じられており、その報復措置ともみられている。
　マイク・ポンペオ米国務長官は声明で、中国で活動する「米国人やその他の外国人ジャーナリストに対する厳しい監視や嫌がらせ、威嚇がますます強まっている」「われわれは中国政府に対し即時、国際公約を守り、報道の自由を含めた表現の自由を尊重するよう求める」と述べた。
　米国務省職員によると、米当局は先月、中国メディア５社を外交使節団として再定義し、米国内での雇用を認める中国人従業員数を１６０人から１００人まで削減する方針を示した。
　余剰人員となる６０人について、米当局はあからさまに国外退去を命じてはおらず、法的には他の就職先を探すことはできるが、大半は国外退去を余儀なくされるとみられている。
　当局によると、該当する５社以外の報道機関で働く中国人には影響はない。また中国国営メディアが中国国籍以外の従業員を雇用することは禁止されない。
　中国の張軍国連大使は記者会見で米当局の動きを非難。「米当局が、中国からやって来るジャーナリストらの仕事への介入に踏み出すのは適切でないとわれわれは考える」と述べた。
　米ニューヨークを拠点に活動する「ジャーナリスト保護委員会」も失望を示し、米当局は「危険な報復合戦」を進めており、それによって「新型コロナウイルスによる危機のさなかに情報の流れを阻害する可能性がある」と警告した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/03/04-12:15）

The United States on Monday slashed by nearly half the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work for their state-run media in the United States, vowing reciprocity as Beijing restricts foreign press.
The move comes two weeks after China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters, although the United States said its decision was based on leveling numbers between the countries rather than retaliating over content.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that China has imposed increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China.
We urge the Chinese government to immediately uphold its international commitments to respect freedom of expression, including for members of the press, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
A State Department official said that five media outlets, which last month were reclassified by the United States as foreign missions, would be allowed to employ a maximum 100 Chinese nationals as of March 13, down from around 160 now.
The United States is not explicitly expelling the 60 staff members, who in theory can seek employment elsewhere, although most are expected to be obliged to leave the country.
China on February 19 threw out three reporters from The Wall Street Journal -- two US nationals and an Australian -- over what it deemed a racist headline on an opinion piece in its harshest move against international media in years.
Chinese citizens who work for other media outlets in the United States are not affected, the official said, and state-run media outlets will not be barred from hiring employees of other nationalities.
The US government has long welcomed foreign journalists, including PRC journalists, to work freely and without threat of reprisal, Pompeo said.
Our goal is reciprocity. As we have done in other areas of the US-China relationship, we seek to establish a long-overdue level playing field, he said.
Last year the United States issued 425 journalist visas to Chinese citizens, including family members, according to official data.
The organization most affected by the order will be the state news agency Xinhua, which will be allowed to keep 59 Chinese staff in the United States, according to a State Department official
The China Global Television Network will be permitted 30 nationals. The China Daily can have nine Chinese employees and China Radio International will be permitted two.
The fifth organization is the US distributor of the official People's Daily which is not believed to employ Chinese nationals.
In reclassifying the five outlets under foreign missions last month, the State Department required them to seek permission to buy property and also to provide lists of their staffs, including the growing number of Americans they employ.