Overview
- In late May 2026 the U.S. government revoked the visa of a Chinese national working for state news agency Xinhua in what officials and reporting described as a reciprocal response to Beijing.
- China ordered New York Times correspondent Vivian Wang to leave in February 2026, citing the Times' DealBook interview with Taiwan’s president even though Wang did not take part in that event.
- The New York Times has publicly demanded Wang's reinstatement and called her expulsion part of a campaign of harassment, and Taiwan's presidential office condemned Beijing's action as an attack on press freedom.
- Reporters and news organizations say the exchanges have already left U.S. media with skeleton staffing in China because Beijing controls foreign accreditation and can revoke visas at will.
- The incidents build on tit-for-tat steps taken since 2020, including U.S. 'foreign mission' designations and earlier expulsions, and they raise the risk of larger gaps in independent coverage and less transparency about China.