NY Times’ Baquet on China expelling American journalists

China announced on Tuesday that it will be expelling American journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. In lieu of that situation, Dean Baquet, executive editor of The Times, has issued the following statement:

“We strongly condemn the decision of the Chinese authorities to expel American journalists, an action that is especially irresponsible at a time when the world needs the free and open flow of credible information about the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is critical that the governments of the United States and China move quickly to resolve this dispute and allow journalists to do the important work of informing the public. The health and safety of people around the world depend on impartial reporting about its two largest economies, both of them now battling a common epidemic.

“The New York Times has been reporting on China since the 1850s, and we remain committed to covering the country, where we have more journalists than anywhere else outside the United States. It is a grave mistake for China to move backwards and cut itself off from several of the world’s top news organizations.”