FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2012
Contact: Tom Pfeifer, (202) 225-5811
Statement of Chairman Elton Gallegly
Hearing on H.R. 2899, The Chinese Media Reciprocity Act
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the hearing is focused on the Chinese Media Reciprocity Act of 2011 (H.R. 2899), introduced by U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. It amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure open and free access by American journalists in the People’s Republic of China. The bill establishes a reciprocal relationship between the number of visas issued to state-controlled media workers in China and in the United States.
The bill builds upon already existing law contained within the Immigration and Nationality Act. Visas granted to officials and employees who have been accredited by a foreign government are issued “upon a basis of reciprocity.” However, the system has been anything but reciprocal. In Fiscal Year 2010, 650 Chinese citizens entered the U.S. with “I” (foreign media) visas, and so far in Fiscal Year 2011, 811 Chinese nationals entered the U.S. These reporters are agents of the Chinese government and work for a news organization under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. In contrast, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the U.S. Government’s international broadcasting agency, is allowed only two reporters to be stationed in Beijing.
Let us not forget that while the Chinese press has grown, it also has remained a tool of the Communist Party. According to State Department reports, the United States has let the Chinese Communist Party establish a wide network and diverse media platforms to disseminate their message directly in the U.S. At least 14 Chinese state-owned media organizations have a presence in the United States. And their operations in the United States are subject to many fewer restrictions than the operations of American media organizations in China.
The state-controlled Chinese news agencies are not subject to censorship or blockage in America. They can cover any news story or express any opinion they desire. In contrast, Rep. Rohrabacher reports that the BBG’s two correspondents in China – one from Radio Free Asia and the other from Voice of America – are harassed by the Chinese police. They have also been assaulted and detained by Chinese officials seeking to block their work. Further, the BBG has its transmissions in China blocked and censored. Their website cannot be accessed in China. In contrast, every edition of China Daily is available in the United States.
H.R. 2899 will assist in rectifying the disparity in treatment of state-controlled journalists in both China and the United States by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to state that “I” visas may only be issued to state-controlled media workers from Communist China on the basis of reciprocity with visas issued to U.S. citizens who are employees of the Broadcasting Board of Governors and who seek to enter China.
Related content: Key Issue: Illegal Immigration.
Contact Elton Newsroom E-mail Newsletters Elton’s Blog Funding Requests Sitemap
Page Updated