By Beyza Binnur Donmez
ANKARA (AA) – The U.S. on Wednesday condemned China’s expulsion of three Wall Street Journal newspaper foreign correspondents.
China's move came after Washington designated Tuesday five Chinese state-run media organizations.
"The United States condemns China’s expulsion of three Wall Street Journal foreign correspondents. Mature, responsible countries understand that a free press reports facts and expresses opinions," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
"The correct response is to present counter arguments, not restrict speech," Pompeo added, saying he hopes Chinese people would "enjoy the same access to accurate information and freedom of speech that Americans enjoy."
The Chinese media organizations designated by the U.S. include Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation and Hai Tian Development USA.
"Each one of these entities meets the definition of a foreign mission under our Foreign Mission Act, which is to say they are either substantially owned or effectively controlled by a foreign government.
"And that’s why we have now determined that we will be treating them as foreign missions," said a State Department official.
