China to expel French journalist over article ‘in support of terrorism’
China says it will expel a French journalist over what Beijing claims is her support for terrorism in the country.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Saturday that the government had refused to renew press credentials of Ursula Gauthier, a correspondent for French news magazine L'Obs, accusing her of offending the Chinese people with an article she wrote about the situation in the volatile western region of Xinjiang.
It is no longer suitable for Gauthier to work in China, the official said, as she failed to apologize to the Chinese people for her “wrong words.”
Kang said Gauthier’s article published on November 18 contains overt support for terrorist activities.
In the op-ed, entitled After the Attacks, Chinese Solidarity Is Not Without Ulterior Motives, Gauthier criticized China’s anti-terrorism policies in Xinjiang, which is home to the ethnic Muslim Uighur minority. The article triggered condemnation from Beijing and a virulent campaign in the state-run newspapers and some social media outlets. Officials said the comments by Gauthier offered justification for violence in the region. The Attacks in the title of the piece refers to the November 13 acts of terror in the French capital, Paris, where 130 people were killed.
In his Saturday statement, Kang said China ensures the legal rights of foreign media organizations and journalists, but will never tolerate the “freedom” of speaking in support of terrorism.
Located on the borders of central Asia, Xinjiang is a large and resource-rich area and plays a crucial role in helping China meet its growing energy needs.
Rights groups have over the past years intensified criticism of Beijing for launching a crackdown on dissent in Xinjiang, saying the policies have created an atmosphere of repression and could lead to more violence in the area.
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