WASHINGTON: The United States issued a new rule on Friday tightening visa guidelines for Chinese journalists, saying it was in response to the treatment of US journalists in China, a shift that comes amid tensions between the two nations over the coronavirus global pandemic.
The United States and China have been engaged in a series of retaliatory actions involving journalists in recent months.
In March, China expelled American journalists from three US newspapers, a month after the United States said it would begin to treat five Chinese state-run media entities with US operations the same as foreign embassies. One day after the US verdict on the state-run entities, Beijing expelled three Wall Street Journal correspondents, two Americans and an Australian, following the publication of an opinion column that China denounced as racist.
In issuing the new regulation on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security cited what it called China’s “suppression of independent journalism.”
The regulation, which will take effect on Monday, will limit visas for Chinese reporters to a 90-day period, with the option for extension. Such visas are typically open-ended and do not need to be extended unless the employee moves to a different company or medium.
A senior DHS official, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter, said the new rules would allow the department to review Chinese journalist visa applications more frequently and would likely reduce the overall number of Chinese journalists in the United States.
“It’s going to create greater national security protections,” the official said.
The new rules will not apply to journalists with passports from Hong Kong or Macau, China’s two semi-autonomous territories, according to DHS.
Tensions between the United States and China have increased in recent months as the novel coronavirus has swept across the globe, killing more than 269,000 people worldwide to date, according to a Reuters tally.
President Donald Trump said in late April that he was confident the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab, but declined to describe the evidence, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing over the origins of the deadly outbreak. The Chinese state-backed Wuhan Institute of Virology has dismissed the allegations. Most experts believe the virus originated in a market selling wildlife in Wuhan.
US tightens visa rules for Chinese journalists amid coronavirus tensions
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US tightens visa rules for Chinese journalists amid coronavirus tensions
- The new rules will not apply to journalists with passports from Hong Kong or Macau, China’s two semi-autonomous territories, according to DHS
List Magazine launches The List Awards
RIYADH: Luxury travel and lifestyle magazine List has announced the launch of The List Awards, in association with Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille.
The List Awards are a first-of-its-kind recognition celebrating excellence across travel, wellness, culture, and fine dining in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region.
Winners will be officially announced in the Winter 2026 edition of the magazine and across its social and digital platforms.
The awards aim to define what world-class excellence looks and feels like in a new era of Saudi hospitality, creativity, and experience-driven living by recognizing establishments and cultural experiences shaping modern luxury in the region.
The selection process is not based on submissions, paid placements or public voting. Instead, List’s editorial team and a panel of independent judges personally experience each venue, brand or experience.
Each entry is then explored, debated, and verified against key criteria: originality, precision, consistency, and relevance to the modern Saudi traveller.
Nóirín Hegarty, List’s editor-in-chief, said: “Saudi Arabia is in the midst of an extraordinary cultural and creative transformation. The List Awards were born from a desire to recognise that energy and define what excellence truly looks like today.
“These awards are not about prestige for its own sake — they are about experience, authenticity, and intent. Every name on the list earned its place because it represents the best of the best and the future of luxury in the region and beyond.”
