The move risks further tit-for-tat measures from Beijing, as the world’s biggest economies continue a broader battle for global influence. The officials said the reductions were not expulsions, although about 60 employees would almost certainly need to leave the country. “Unlike foreign media organizations in China, these entities are not independent news organizations,” US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement after the officials briefed reporters. China currently allows about 100 US citizens in the country and has severely restricted the number of visas it issues to foreign reporters. That would match a Chinese requirement restricting foreign reporters to as little as 30 days before they must seek an extension.

Source: Taipei Times March 03, 2020 15:56 UTC