China denies rejecting visa of Western journalist

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Created on Friday, 04 January 2013 15:48

Written by Editorial staff

Beijing has vehemently denied rejecting the immigration visa of an Australian journalist, working for the New York Times in China.

The newspaper, which has been known for publishing a series of exposes on the family of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, said Chris Buckley has been forced to exit the mainland.

But the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reports that Buckley has not been thrown out over this matter, according to a spokesman for the office of the ministry of foreign affairs.

She said: "There has not been any so-called rejection; his visa application was still being processed."

Speaking to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), she added that his visa application did not meet all the requirements but hasn't been delayed.

It hasn't been clarified what exactly the problems are with the visa, as the spokesperson failed to elaborate further to the AFP.

The New York Times reported that such difficulties against Western journalists, including their Beijing bureau chief for the paper, Philip P Pan, waiting nearly a year for his credentials, highlights a deeper issue.

The paper stipulated: "The visa troubles come amid government pressure on the foreign news media over investigations into the finances of senior Chinese leaders, a delicate subject.

"Corruption is widely reported in China, but top leaders are considered off limits."

The publication also added that it looks like Chinese authorities are continuing a Cold War-style fight against news outlets that highlight improprieties with government leaders.

Specifically the stories relate to an October piece by the newspaper which details how wealthy the Wen family has become during the time that the premier has been in power.

The report stipulates that they have controlled assets worth an estimated $2.7 billion.

This comes after Chinese officials blocked access to the Bloomberg News website after a similar story was covered highlighting the vast riches of Xi Jinping. The New York Times reports that financial houses institutions in China have been told not to purchase computer terminals from Bloomberg, which is a financial blow to the company.

The body which represents Western journalists stationed in the communist country, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China, has expressed its regrets at what it describes as "delays" in the processing of Mr Buckley's paperwork.

Buckley was previously with news wire service Reuters in Britain and has been based in China as a reporter for over ten years. He re-joined with the New York Times in October.