Over half of foreign journalists in the country were forced to leave a place or denied access on health and safety concerns last year, despite posing ‘no health risk by China’s own standards,’ according to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC’s) annual report
New Delhi: Foreign media in China endured strict Covid controls, harassment and constant surveillance in 2022, a report said.
Over half of foreign journalists in the country were forced to leave a place or denied access on health and safety concerns last year, despite posing “no health risk by China’s own standards,” according to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC’s) annual report.
A similar percentage claimed that problems with smartphone “health codes” rendered them unable to travel at some point last year.
Nearly 40% stated that speaking to foreign media had resulted in at least one source being harassed, detained, questioned, or subjected to other negative consequences, and 45% stated that similar official pressure had been placed on Chinese colleagues.
For the majority of the year, China maintained some of the strictest Covid restrictions in the world, limiting travel into and around the country, imposing lengthy quarantines, and conducting mass tests.
“A bevy of state restrictions, ongoing digital surveillance, and the continued harassment of Chinese colleagues and sources means existing challenges to true freedom of the press in China remain”, the report said.
The findings were based on a survey of 102 of the FCCC’s 166 members, representing news organisations from 30 countries and regions.
China ranked 175th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 Media Freedom Index.