China and the US have agreed to ease restrictions on each other’s journalists amid a slight easing of tensions between the two sides. The official China Daily newspaper said on Wednesday that the agreement was reached ahead of the virtual summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US president Joe Biden held a day earlier. Under the agreement, the US will issue one-year multiple-entry visas to Chinese journalists and will immediately initiate a process to address “duration of status” issues, China Daily said. China will reciprocate by granting equal treatment to US journalists once the US policies take effect, and both sides will issue media visas for new applicants “based on relevant laws and regulations”, the report said.
In a statement to Associated Press late on Tuesday, the US state department said China had committed to issuing visas for a group of American reporters “provided they are eligible under all applicable laws and regulations”.
“We will also continue issuing visas to [Chinese] journalists who are otherwise eligible for the visa under US law,” the statement said.
