MarketWatch reports, that "The Justice Department ordered two leading Chinese state-run media organizations to register as foreign agents, according to people familiar with the matter, as U.S. officials ramp up efforts to combat foreign influence operations and toughen their stance on a variety of China policies."
This occurs with the backdrop of the trade-war between China and America, with tariffs unveiled on Monday in regards to $200 million in Chinese goods. The Foreign Agents Registration Act itself is an obscure but practical holdover from World War 2, designed to combat "...[foreign] influence [on] US public opinion, policy, and laws,”
State news media Xinhua and broadcaster China Global Television have reportedly been told to register under the US’s Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Doing so would classify the media groups as lobbyists for a foreign entity, requiring them to disclose activities and spending.
China's Foreign Ministry representative Geng Shuang said that Beijing has contacted the US about this concern, saying this past Wednesday, "Countries should understand the media’s role in promoting international exchange and cooperation in an open and inclusive spirit,” he said on Wednesday. “They need to facilitate rather than obstruct media’s normal work.”
As straightforward as these comments may seem on the surface, the reality of China's totalitarian approach to both citizens and foreigners frequently makes international headlines.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China conducts an annual study on reporting conditions in China, and found the situation had deteriorated in 2017.
Journalists whose coverage had offended authorities were forced to leave the country when the ministry refused to renew their press credentials, which are typically reviewed each year.
Chinese state media on the other hand have expanded their presence significantly in the US without much restriction. In 2012, CGTN established operations in Washington DC, building a sleek broadcast center and hiring away journalists from NBC, Bloomberg and other Western news organizations.