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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 8 sepTember 2020
Journalists for U.S. media face possible expulsion from China

BEIJING (AP) — China is de- nal and The Washington
laying the renewal of press Post. Those affected have
cards for at least five jour- been both U.S. and non-
nalists working at four U.S. U.S. citizens. Official press
media outlets, an organiza- cards are used to obtain
tion of foreign correspon- residency permits usually
dents said Monday, making good for one year, while
them vulnerable to expul- the letters issued by the Chi-
sion in apparent retribution nese foreign ministry "could
for Washington's targeting be revoked at any time,
of Chinese reporters work- thus putting (the journalists)
ing in the United States. at constant threat of expul-
China's foreign ministry re- sion," the FCCC said in a
sponded by saying appli- statement.
cations for renewal were The U.S. moves were fed by
being processed and those complaints that Chinese
reporters involved would journalists working for state
not have their lives in China media acted more as pro-
"affected in any way." pagandists and agents for
However, ministry spokes- the Communist Party than
person Zhao Lijian also ac- as genuine reporters. The
cused the U.S. of being U.S. had already required
"arrogant and unreason- those outlets to register as
able" in talks about the foreign entities with the
matter and "not addressing U.S., similar to consulates
China's normal and rea- A CNN cameraman waits outside the train station in Beijing, China on Jan. 8, 2019. and embassies.
sonable concerns and de- Associated Press They also come against
mands at all." the backdrop of worsen-
"If the U.S. government truly one-year press card. Bloomberg have also been path and continuously ing U.S.-China relations on
cares about American jour- He was told the move was targeted. It did not name making mistakes, China a range of issues, includ-
nalists, it should extend visas unrelated to his reporting the fourth outlet, but said will have to make the nec- ing human rights, trade,
for all Chinese journalists as but was merely a recipro- more foreign journalists are essary and legitimate re- technology, Taiwan, Hong
soon as possible, instead of cal measure in response expected to receive similar sponses to firmly safeguard Kong, the South China Sea
taking journalists from the to the actions of the Trump treatment. While the tar- its legitimate rights," he said. and Chinese treatment of
two countries as hostages administration toward Chi- geted outlets are all Ameri- China's move comes after its Muslim minority in the
for the certain politicians' nese media, making it the can, the journalists involved the U.S. capped the num- northwestern region of Xin-
political interests," Zhao told latest manifestation of the are of various nationalities. ber of Chinese citizens who jiang. Relations hit a new
reporters at a daily briefing. deteriorating state of U.S.- Zhao did not say what fu- could be employed by low in July when the U.S.
Atlanta-based CNN said its China relations that have ture actions China might Chinese media outlets and ordered China to close its
China correspondent was fallen to their lowest level take, but said "all the op- placed them on 90-day vi- consulate in Houston and
among those given a letter in decades. The Foreign tions are on the table, and sas. China first responded China demanded the shut-
authorizing him to continue Correspondents' Club of the U.S. side knows that in March by expelling re- tering of the U.S. mission in
reporting for the next two China, or FCCC, said The very well." "If the U.S. insists porters from The New York the southwestern city of
months instead of the usual Wall Street Journal and on going down the wrong Times, The Wall Street Jour- Chengdu. q

Southern Africa’s hunger upsurge blamed on climate, COVID-19

and nutritious food up 10% of food insecurity that we tion, said ActionAid Af-
from last year, the World have never seen for many rica humanitarian advisor,
Food Program said Mon- years," in 13 of the region's Chikondi Chabvuta.
day. 16 countries, Castro said. "Southern Africa has faced
The COVID-19 pandem- "We have chronic underly- impacts of climate change
ic, coupled with climate ing causes that we know for the past four years non-
change and the strug- very well, and they are stop. ... I have witnessed the
gling economies of several basically mostly related to short-lived hope in people's
countries, are the main climatic shocks ... drought, eyes these past four years
causes of the food insecu- floods or big cyclones," said when seeds are distributed
rity, said international aid Castro. or exchanged in the hope
organizations in a webinar She said COVID-19 was an for a better yield next sea-
organized by the Foreign additional emergency that son, only to be disappoint-
Correspondents Assocition has enormously hurt the ed by more climate disas-
of Southern Africa. livelihoods of many poor ters," she said.
Zimbabwe is the worst af- people in the region. Lock- "COVID-19 is exposing the
In this Thursday, Feb, 20, 2020 file photo, women carry bags of fected country, with its downs have made large existing systematic weak-
maize during a food aid distribution excercise in Mudzi about
230 kilometres northeast of the capital Harare, Zimbabwe. number of food insecure numbers of people unem- nesses of the regional poli-
Associated Press people expected to reach ployed, increasing food in- cies meant to develop re-
8.6 million by the end of this security, she said. silient food security," said
By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME in southern Africa are food year, World Food Program Many farmers, especially Chabvuta. "This includes
Associated Press insecure, with the number director in southern Africa, women, had been severely reliance on imports for agri-
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — An of people without access Lola Castro, said. affected by COVID-19 and cultural production for food
estimated 45 million people to adequate affordable "We are going to see levels its impact on food produc- supply." q