China Cracks Down on International Journalists

BEIJING, March 7, 2011 — -- It started out as a story about anonymous online calls for a "Jasmine Revolution," calls that, it must be noted, were not met with any notable enthusiasm from Chinese people.

But it has turned into the story of China's nervousness about recent upheaval in the Middle East and north Africa and how this skittishness has changed the working landscape for international reporters in China.

In the week since last Sunday's abortive protests, in which about a dozen journalists were detained or manhandled and one reporter was beaten quite severely, China has made it clear that journalists must familiarize themselves with the "new rules" for reporting here, by putting in official requests with the government to carry out interviews in Beijing.

This seems to constitute a repealing of Premier Wen Jiabao's decree in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics that journalists can operate freely without seeking specific government permission.

China's foreign ministry has denied that any journalists were beaten up by Chinese police, saying, "there is no such issue as Chinese police officers beating foreign journalists."

Our cameraman, a Filipino national, was visited Friday night by police who demanded to see his passport and press card and reminded him of the importance of abiding by Chinese law.

Two policemen banged on my door Saturday afternoon bearing a similar message. They claimed that they needed to talk to me about my registration and asked for my passport and residency.

Although they did not mention my reporting, their parting words were unambiguous: "Make sure you understand Chinese law." Dozens of other journalists have faced similar visits and worse.