GlobalPost’s Allison Jackson wrote Monday about the back and forth game the Chinese government continues playing with foreign media. Jackson spoke with Paul Mooney, now a freelance journalist who was denied a visa to work in China late last year. Jackson asked Mooney what we can expect from China this year.
I not only see no sign of them easing control over the media, but I actually expect to see the controls increase. I predict that the Chinese will step up the harassment of the foreign media this year in an attempt to muzzle reporting on corruption among the top leadership as well as on increasing domestic problems and rising opposition to the Party.
The Chinese government won a small victory when Bloomberg allegedly bowed by censoring a story, and this has given the Communist leadership a taste of blood. The Party will now feel encouraged to continue its pressure under the belief that everyone will eventually bend.
