WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is anticipated to designate at least 4 extra state-run Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies, increasing restrictions on their operations on American soil, 3 individuals familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
FILE IMAGE: Chinese and U.S. flags flutter near The Bund in Shanghai, China July 30,2019 REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
The action by the State Department, sure to more irritate U.S.-China stress, might come as soon as Thursday, the sources informed Reuters. It follows President Donald Trump’s statement on Friday of vindictive measures versus Beijing over its tightened grip on Hong Kong.
The classifications are expected to consist of China Central Television (CCTV), the top state-owned network, and China News Service, the country’s second-largest state-owned news agency, two sources stated on condition of privacy.
They would be added to five Chinese outlets positioned under constraints in February over U.S. allegations they were used by China and its Communist ru