Canadian Public Broadcasting to close Beijing bureau - visa not issued by Chinese government

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

カナダ公共放送 北京支局を閉鎖へ 中国政府からビザ発給されず

2022年11月4日 7時18分

カナダの公共放送CBCは、中国政府から記者のビザ発給が受けられないとして、北京にある支局を閉鎖すると発表しました。これについて中国外務省は長期間、常駐記者がいないと業務を終えたとみなされると主張しています。

カナダ公共放送CBCは2日、40年以上にわたって開設してきた中国の北京にある支局を閉鎖したと発表しました。

CBCによりますと、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大をきっかけに北京に駐在する記者が帰国したあと、2年前の2020年10月に後任となる記者のビザを申請し中国側に働きかけてきたものの、発給されなかったということです。

これについて中国外務省の趙立堅報道官は3日の記者会見で「CBCの記者は2年前にみずから離任している。規定では10か月以上、常駐記者がいない場合、業務を終えたとみなされる」と主張したうえで「中国の法律を順守しなければならない」と強調しました。

中国とカナダの関係を巡っては4年前、カナダ当局が中国の大手通信機器メーカー、ファーウェイの副会長を逮捕した一方、中国当局がカナダ人2人を拘束するなど一時、緊張しました。

また、中国政府は去年、イギリスの公共放送BBCの国際放送について、真実に反し国家の利益を損なったなどとして中国での放送を禁止するなど、海外メディアの報道に神経をとがらせています。

Translation

Canadian public broadcaster CBC announced that it would close its branch office in Beijing because the Chinese government was unable to issue journalist visas. China's foreign ministry claimed that as there were no resident reporters for a long time, it supposed that the reporters had finished operation.

Canadian public broadcaster CBC announced on the 2nd that it closed a branch office in Beijing of China which had been open for more than 40 years.

According to the CBC, after a journalist stationed in Beijing returned to home due to the spread of the new coronavirus, two years ago in October 2020 a successor reporter applied for a visa, and although he had appealed to the Chinese side, it was said that the visa had not been issued.

Regarding this, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press conference on the 3^rd that ``CBC reporter left the post two years ago by himself, and according to regulations, if there are no resident reporters for more than 10 months, they consider the office has finished its work"; and he emphasized that ' Chinese laws must be complied with.'

Four years ago, Canadian authorities arrested the vice chairman of Huawei who was a major Chinese telecommunications equipment maker while Chinese authorities detained two Canadians, there was tension for a while.

In addition, China government last year about British’s public broadcaster the BBC international broadcasting, was not pleased with its overseas media reports and regarded them as contrary to the truth and harmed the interests of the country, had banned BBC broadcasting in China etc.

So, CBC announces that it will close its branch office in Beijing because the Chinese government does not issue journalist visas. Four years ago, Canadian authorities arrested the vice chairman of Huawei, and since then the relation between the two countries has not been smooth. I always think that Canada, Australia and England are trouble makers in the eyes of China.