# China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapers

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 1 source.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The precise number of journalists affected across the three outlets was not specified in the source reviewed.

China ordered American correspondents for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post to leave the country, in a reciprocal response to the Trump administration capping the number of Chinese state-media employees allowed in the United States, which itself followed China's earlier expulsion of three Journal reporters over an opinion headline.[1]

- Country: [China](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cn) (RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180)
- Where: CN
- Level of government: National
- Tactics: Expulsion and visa denial, Credential control
- Stage: Punish (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/expulsion_and_visa_denial#stage-punish)
- Head of government at the time: [Xi Jinping](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/xi-jinping)
- Issue of the day: The expulsions followed a rapid exchange of measures: a Wall Street Journal opinion piece China objected to, the U.S. capping Chinese state-media staff, and China's decision to expel American reporters from three outlets in response, all unfolding as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading globally.
- Outcome: Sustained. The expelled journalists' press credentials were not restored; reciprocal media restrictions between the two countries continued for years afterward.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

In February 2020, after The Wall Street Journal published an opinion column China's government objected to, Beijing revoked the press credentials of three Journal reporters based in China. On March 2, 2020, the Trump administration capped the number of Chinese state-media employees allowed to work in the United States at 100, down from about 160. On March 17, 2020, China's foreign ministry announced it would require American journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post whose press cards were due to expire that year to leave the country, and said they would not be allowed to work as journalists in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. China's foreign ministry called the move "entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures" against what it described as American measures aimed exclusively at Chinese media organizations. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he regretted China's decision to further limit free press operations worldwide.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

China's foreign ministry described the expulsions as "entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures," saying "what the US has done is exclusively targeting Chinese media organizations, and hence driven by a Cold War mentality."[2]

## What changed for reporting

American correspondents for three of the country's largest newspapers lost their accreditation to report from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau at the outset of the global coronavirus pandemic, cutting into independent Western reporting from China during a major global story.[1][2][3]

## Timeline

- 2020-03-17: China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapers

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/chinese-ministry-of-foreign-affairs) | enforced | Foreign ministry |
| [Xi Jinping](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/xi-jinping) | ordered | President of China |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [The New York Times](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/new-york-times) | outlet | affected |
| [The Wall Street Journal](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/wall-street-journal) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. China expels journalists from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/china-expels-more-us-journalists-amid-tit-for-tat-battle.html (CNBC, 2020-03-17).

## Claims cited

[1] China's foreign ministry said American journalists would not be allowed to continue working in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. Quote: "They will not be allowed to continue working as journalists in the People's Republic of China, including its Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions." Source: CNBC, 2020-03-17. China expels journalists from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/china-expels-more-us-journalists-amid-tit-for-tat-battle.html Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/478, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] China's foreign ministry described the expulsions as necessary and reciprocal countermeasures against U.S. restrictions on Chinese media. Quote: "entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures" Source: CNBC, 2020-03-17. China expels journalists from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/china-expels-more-us-journalists-amid-tit-for-tat-battle.html Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/479, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Secretary of State Pompeo said he regretted China's decision to further limit free press operations. Quote: "I regret China's decision to further foreclose the world's ability to conduct free press operations." Source: CNBC, 2020-03-17. China expels journalists from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/china-expels-more-us-journalists-amid-tit-for-tat-battle.html Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/480, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-china-expels-us-newspaper-journalists. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.