White House Urges China to Act on Journalists’ Visas

The White House is “deeply concerned” with China’s treatment of foreign journalists and expressed disappointment that Austin Ramzy, a New York Times reporter, had been forced to leave the country.

Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said that China should not be “restricting the ability of journalists to do their work,” and he urged the country’s leaders to remove any limitations that “impede the ability of journalists to practice their profession.” “We remain concerned that Mr. Ramzy and several other U.S. journalists have waited months, and in some cases years, for a decision on their press credentials and visa applications,” Carney said. “We have raised our concerns about the treatment of journalists and media organizations repeatedly and at the highest levels with the Chinese government, and will continue to do so.”