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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Biden Faults China on Foreign Press Crackdown | Biden Faults China on Foreign Press Crackdown |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| BEIJING — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. took up the cause of foreign journalists facing banishment from China for news coverage, publicly criticizing the Chinese government’s pressure campaign and privately raising the problems with President Xi Jinping. | BEIJING — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. took up the cause of foreign journalists facing banishment from China for news coverage, publicly criticizing the Chinese government’s pressure campaign and privately raising the problems with President Xi Jinping. |
| Mr. Biden also met on Thursday with correspondents based in China from several news organizations mainly affected by the crackdown, most notably The New York Times and Bloomberg News. | Mr. Biden also met on Thursday with correspondents based in China from several news organizations mainly affected by the crackdown, most notably The New York Times and Bloomberg News. |
| The Chinese government has held up renewing the visas of roughly two dozen correspondents from The Times and Bloomberg after each published investigative articles about the wealth of the families of top Chinese leaders. Without new visas, the reporters will be forced to leave China, as soon as within the next few weeks. | |
| In a speech to American business people, a day after he met with Mr. Xi, the vice president said the United States had “profound disagreements” with China’s “treatment of U.S. journalists.” | In a speech to American business people, a day after he met with Mr. Xi, the vice president said the United States had “profound disagreements” with China’s “treatment of U.S. journalists.” |
| “Innovation thrives where people breathe freely, speak freely, are able to challenge orthodoxy, where newspapers can report the truth without fear of consequences,” Mr. Biden said. | |
| The government’s actions, which appear aimed at the news organizations rather than at individual reporters, threaten to shut down the China news bureaus of The Times and Bloomberg, as well as hobble their business operations in the country. | The government’s actions, which appear aimed at the news organizations rather than at individual reporters, threaten to shut down the China news bureaus of The Times and Bloomberg, as well as hobble their business operations in the country. |
| The English and Chinese-language websites of The Times have been blocked in China since October 2012, after the paper published an extensive article on the wealth and business dealings of the family of China’s former prime minister, Wen Jiabao. | |
| “Unfettered coverage of China is a crucial issue,” said Jill Abramson, the executive editor of The New York Times. “At a time when China is such an important and compelling story, the world needs the highest quality reporting on it.” | “Unfettered coverage of China is a crucial issue,” said Jill Abramson, the executive editor of The New York Times. “At a time when China is such an important and compelling story, the world needs the highest quality reporting on it.” |
| Bloomberg’s website was similarly blocked after it published an article on the fortunes amassed by relatives of President Xi. Sales of Bloomberg financial terminals dried up in China and the government issued no further residency visas to Bloomberg reporters. | |
| The pressure from Beijing played a role in Bloomberg’s subsequent decision not to publish an investigation of the ties to Communist Party leaders of Wang Jianlin, China’s wealthiest man, according to people at Bloomberg. Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief, Matthew Winkler, has said the article was not published because it was not ready. | The pressure from Beijing played a role in Bloomberg’s subsequent decision not to publish an investigation of the ties to Communist Party leaders of Wang Jianlin, China’s wealthiest man, according to people at Bloomberg. Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief, Matthew Winkler, has said the article was not published because it was not ready. |
| A spokeswoman for Bloomberg in Singapore, Belina Tan, declined to comment on the status of its reporters or on Mr. Biden’s intervention on their behalf. | A spokeswoman for Bloomberg in Singapore, Belina Tan, declined to comment on the status of its reporters or on Mr. Biden’s intervention on their behalf. |
| Mr. Biden also kept up the public pressure on China over its declaration of an air defense zone in the contested waters of the East China Sea. The zone, which has drawn fierce protests from Japan and sowed fears of a clash between the two countries, was a major focus of the 5 and a half hours of meetings on Wednesday between Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi. | |
| “China’s recent and sudden announcement of the establishment of a new air defense identification zone has, to state the obvious, caused significant apprehension in the region,” Mr. Biden said. “I was very direct about our firm position and our expectations in my conversation with Mr. Xi.” | “China’s recent and sudden announcement of the establishment of a new air defense identification zone has, to state the obvious, caused significant apprehension in the region,” Mr. Biden said. “I was very direct about our firm position and our expectations in my conversation with Mr. Xi.” |
| Mr. Biden urged China to refrain from steps that would raise tensions and he said the Chinese government needed to communicate better with its neighbors to avoid accidents or miscalculation. | Mr. Biden urged China to refrain from steps that would raise tensions and he said the Chinese government needed to communicate better with its neighbors to avoid accidents or miscalculation. |