It’s about time.
Dictatorships don’t have a free press. Their media is a government operation that spreads propaganda and acts on its behalf. The insistence on treating Xinhua, RT, or Al Jazeera as if they were anything other than the arms of hostile regimes has been foolish.
This is a good step.
The Trump administration designated five major Chinese media outlets with U.S. operations as official government entities on Tuesday.
The move means each must register employees and properties located in the U.S. with the State Department under the Foreign Missions Act.
The media outlets designated by the U.S. as “foreign missions” include Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation and Hai Tian Development USA. All are considered controlled by or mouthpieces for the government.
Arguably, the major issue for media outlets isn’t espionage. But the ability of enemy personnel to function as members of the media means that they have a unique degree of access to government officials in this country. It’s important to put a stop to that.
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