TAIPEI, Taiwan — A China correspondent for the BBC has left Beijing after coming under intense pressure and being threatened over the British public broadcaster’s coverage of subjects like the origins of Covid-19 and the government’s crackdown on Muslim minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang. The correspondent, John Sudworth, said on Wednesday that the decision had been made following an intensifying propaganda campaign targeting him and the BBC that had emerged in recent months. He also cited legal threats as well as the increasing difficulty of doing independent reporting in China without obstruction or harassment. The BBC reported that Mr. Sudworth, who was based in China for nine years, had left Beijing along with his wife, Yvonne Murray, a reporter for the Irish public broadcaster RTE, and their three young children. Both Mr. Sudworth and Ms. Murray have said they will continue to cover China from Taipei.

Source: International New York Times April 01, 2021 13:30 UTC