Taiwan vows not to be ‘silenced’ after China expels NYT reporter
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The episode highlights China’s increasing tensions with the Taiwanese government led by President Lai Ching-te.
PHOTO: REUTERS
TAIPEI – Taiwan has condemned the expulsion of a New York Times journalist from China over an interview the US-based newspaper had conducted with the self-ruled island’s leader, saying it is common for a president of a democratic country to explain its position.
“Taiwan will not be silenced because of oppression,” Taiwan Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement on May 31.
“Taiwan will continue to explain its position to the international community in a stable and responsible manner, and work with like-minded partners to safeguard democracy, freedom of the press, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region,” Kuo added.
Beijing had ordered reporter Vivian Wang to leave China in February, the Times reported days ago, adding that Chinese officials attributed the decision as a response to the publication’s interview with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te last December, conducted by Andrew Ross Sorkin.
Chinese officials had been complaining about Wang’s coverage for months, according to the Times, which highlighted her reporting on sensitive matters such as censorship, Beijing’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and expansion of state surveillance.
“This is not only a matter of freedom of the press and speech, but also of the safety of journalists,” Kuo said.
The move “not only fails to improve its international image but also highlights that China is currently a source of instability and a troublemaker in the region and the international community”, she added.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The episode highlights both China’s increasing tensions with the Taiwanese government led by Lai, whom Beijing has branded a “separatist”, and the challenges that foreign correspondents in China are facing.
The Communist Party of China views democratically ruled Taiwan as part of its territory despite never having governed it, and has not ruled out taking the island by force.
The decision to punish the Times for speaking to Lai comes amid a broader push by Beijing to use new tactics to pressure Taiwan.
China earlier in 2026 blocked Lai’s overseas trip to Eswatini – an African kingdom that is one of Taiwan’s last 12 diplomatic allies – by asking three Indian Ocean nations to deny him access to their airspace.
In an April statement, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China did not mention the Taiwan issue but denounced what it described as a “spate of targeted attacks on press freedom in China” – a trend it said had been worsening since February. BLOOMBERG
