The United States is not explicitly expelling the other 60 staff members, who in theory can seek other employment, although most are expected to be obliged to leave the country. Chinese citizens who work for other media outlets in the US are not affected, the official said, and state-run media outlets will not be barred from hiring employees of other nationalities. “The US government has long welcomed foreign journalists, including PRC (Chinese) journalists, to work freely and without threat of reprisal,” Pompeo said. A senior US official said that President Donald Trump’s administration was also considering limiting the duration of stay for Chinese staff of state media. The organization most affected by Monday’s order will be the state news agency Xinhua, which will be allowed to keep 59 Chinese staff in the United States, according to a State Department official.

Source: The Guardian March 02, 2020 19:52 UTC