China's state-run wire agency Xinhua News yesterday accused Taiwan's government of rejecting two reporters' entry into the country without a valid reason.
Responding to the accusations yesterday, the Government Information Office (GIO) said that the pair of journalists from Xinhua had not been rejected, but that their turn to cover news in Taiwan had been passed to another news wire service from China.
According to Taiwan's regulations regarding journalists from China, wire services must take turns covering Taiwan and the opportunity has now been handed over to the China News service.
The China News service is a non-official news organization established by overseas Chinese and journalism professionals.
The rotation was the first since Taiwan began allowing reporters from China to come to Taiwan in February this year.
In a report on Monday, Xinhua accused "Taiwan authorities" of interrupting its reporting in Taiwan and claimed their refusal would have ramifications toward media across the Taiwan Strait, especially media groups in China.
The GIO's decision reportedly drew the attention of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council in China because Xinhua is a state-run news agency.
A deputy director general at the GIO, Lee Cher-jean (
"Xinhua thinks too much about this rejection. They were not approved this time, but that doesn't mean they won't have a chance to come in the future. The China News service has been applying since April, so we decided to give this opportunity to them. This is about taking turns," Lee said.
Meanwhile, a journalist from Xinhua, who was one of the previous correspondents posted in Taiwan, refused to accept the GIO's explanation.
"Taiwan's government should consider the continuity of our reporting, regardless of whether the China News service is approved or not," the journalist said.
But Lee said that continuity wasn't the issue. "Journalists from the mainland can read Taiwan's newspapers and watch all of Taiwan's news channels from China. They can learn everything about Taiwan without coming here," Lee said.
Many Taiwanese newspaper reporters, in fact, cover their beats by watching television reports.
The Mainland Affairs Council and the GIO opened their doors to journalists from China earlier this year, allowing in two journalists from each news organization from China: wire agencies, newspapers, radio and television stations.
Each pair of journalists have been posted in Taiwan for one month beginning in February. So far, Xinhua News Agency, the People's Daily, China National Radio and China Central Television have posted journalists in Taiwan.
"I don't understand why the Taiwan government has such a limited quota. It only violates the freedom of journalism," said the journalist from Xinhua news agency, after being rejected.
A GIO official, who is in charge of China's media management but asked to remain anonymous, argued: "Taiwan only allows four media groups but Taiwan is a small island. China has a large territory, but only allows eight Taiwan media groups. Is this fair?"
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