The Chinese government has seized the chance to limit freedom of the press in the U.S.
The Chinese consulate in San Francisco has denied media credentials to The Epoch Times to cover Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Seattle, scheduled to begin on September 4.
The Epoch Times is an independent, U.S.-based media company that began with a Chinese-language edition and now publishes in eight languages, including English. It is known for uncensored coverage of China, including human rights issues, such as the persecution of Falun Gong. It is banned in China, and four Epoch Times reporters are currently in prison in China.
Reporters from The Epoch Times were planning to cover President Hu’s first stop on a two-week visit by China’s paramount leader — Hu is head of state, chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the head of China’s military — to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Their credentials were denied, however, via an intermediary, the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle.
According to an e-mail from Sam Kaplan of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, “…the Trade Alliance is acting as a conduit for the local host committee with the Chinese Government. The Chinese Government is responsible for their events and has final say on media credentials. They have decided not to provide credentials to The Epoch Times.” Kaplan’s message directed any questions to the consul general at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco.
The Chinese government has tried in the past to control what media may cover Chinese leaders on trips to the United States. When Premier Wen Jiabao visited Boston in December, 2003, the Chinese delegation tried strenuously to prevent Epoch Times reporters from covering his visit. In that instance, the U.S. Secret Service, the Massachusetts State Port Authority, and the Boston police all defended the reporter’s right to attend a public event. At one point, a Boston policeman was forced to push aside a member of Wen Jiabao’s delegation who attempted physically to block the reporter’s way.
The Epoch Times has faced a variety of acts of harassment that it claims are organized or inspired by the Chinese government. These include the thefts of newspapers, intimidation and pressure placed on advertisers, attempts to prevent The Epoch Times from renting venues, and attempts to intimidate Epoch Times staff through threats made to family members in China.
In Seattle Hu will visit Microsoft, Boeing, and Washington Governor Christine Gregoire. His trip will continue with visits to Washington, D.C., New Haven, Ottawa, Toronto, Mexico, New York City, and Vancouver. Media credential requests from The Epoch Times in these locations are “in process,” with none approved so far.
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