BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China refused to renew press credentials for a French journalist after a month-long campaign in the Chinese media against her for criticizing the government's treatment of ethnic violence in Xinjiang, a region largely populated by the Uighur Muslims, as acts of terrorism.
Citing a foreign ministry spokesperson, the state-controlled Xinhua news agency reported that press credentials for Ursula Gauthier, a reporter for the French magazine L'Obs, will not be renewed.
The ministry spokesperson said Gauthier had offended the Chinese people with a story dated November 18, in which she 'overtly voiced support for terrorist activities'. The story also blamed the Chinese government's anti-terrorism policy in Xinjiang.
Gauthier's credentials are set to expire on December 31 and non-renewal of the same would amount to her de facto expulsion from the country.
According to the ministry, the action was initiated as the journalist 'refused to apologize' to the Chinese people for her story and hence, it was 'no longer suitable for her to work in China'.
The ministry spokesman also added that China will 'never tolerate the 'freedom' of speaking for terrorism', Xinhua reported.
This is the first expulsion of a foreign correspondent in China since 2012, when the China correspondent of Al Jazeera was forced out of the country.
On its website, the L'Obs said Gauthier confirmed receiving official communication that she will have to make a public apology to avoid expulsion from the country. The magazine said, citing the reporter, that such an apology was 'out of question' and 'unthinkable'.
The L'Obs also called the action against its reporter 'a very serious attack on press freedom and a very bad signal sent by China to foreign journalists'.
In an editorial, the French magazine, the full name of which is 'L'Observateur', said the expulsion of its reporter would be 'a major incident' and 'an intolerable attack on the values' it defends, at a time when China and France are trying to strengthen co-operation on diplomatic, cultural and economic fronts.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
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