Beijing's foreign diplomats challenged Washington to "play" after the US cut 60 Chinese journalists resident in the country.

"The United States has now started the game. Let's play," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hoa Xuan Oanh wrote on Twitter on March 3.

The statement targeted the US on March 2 to reduce the number of Chinese journalists in the US at 5 Chinese media outlets, including Xinhua, China Global Television Network (CGTN), and radio. China Radio International, China Daily and People's Daily. The total number of Chinese permanent correspondents for these agencies is now 160, but at Washington's request, will be reduced to 100 on March 13.

The cuts came after the US viewed the five media outlets as entities similar to embassies, requiring information about employees in the United States. These agencies are also required to get permission before buying or renting new real estate in the US.

"We condemn the reduction of US staff in Chinese media outlets - the fact of deportation. Another step of political and hypocritical oppression in American press freedom. and prevent Chinese media, "Hoa wrote.

It was argued that the reduction of American journalists in China was a retaliation after Beijing deported three reporters from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), regarding a commentary titled "China - Con. true Asian disease, "posted on the front page of WSJ on February 3. Beijing criticized the article "racist", "sensational" as well as criticized because the magazine did not apologize officially.

Two of the three WSJ reporters, Josh Chin, the Americans and Philip Wen, the Australians, left China, but the other, Chao Deng, was stuck in Wuhan when reporting on Covid-19 in a city considered to be. Chinese translation center. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked journalists' cards from three reporters.

Ms. Hoa also reported that the United States had 29 media outlets in China, while China's figure in the US was 9, while 21 Chinese journalists were denied visas to the United States last year. .

Speaking at the Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing yesterday, China's Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Zhao Lian Kien also made the same point of view that the US move was based on "psychology and prejudices about Cold War ideology ".

"The United States always prides itself on the freedom of the press, but on the other hand hinders the activities of Chinese media in the US, showing the hypocrisy of the so-called" press freedom "of the US," he said. Zhao said, adding that this is the act of "bullying hegemony". Zhao also said that the State Department's decision would have a negative impact and cause serious damage to the relationship between the two countries.

US officials said the Chinese newspaper's decision to cut permanent journalists in response to China's "long-standing policy of bullying and harassing American journalists" but insisted it was not a move to deport reporters have Chinese nationality.