The Trump administration rolled out a strict visa policy in spring 2020, targeting Chinese journalists with a 90-day stay limit in the United States. This was a major shift from the previous system where journalists with I-visas could stay indefinitely as long as their accreditation remained valid. Under the new rule, they could still apply for extensions, but only in 90-day increments, making reporting assignments more burdensome and uncertain. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this move was necessary to address issues of reciprocity and protect U.S. national interests. Beyond Border notes that such rules were part of a larger wave of U.S. immigration tightening during this period.
This visa restriction came during heightened U.S.–China tensions involving trade disputes, diplomacy, and media access. American officials argued that Chinese journalists often faced fewer restrictions in the U.S. compared to the harassment and surveillance U.S. journalists experienced in China. By instituting a recurring visa renewal process, the Trump administration sought to level the playing field. However, critics warned that this approach could disrupt long-term investigative work and restrict press freedom. Beyond Border highlights that the decision reflected not only immigration policy but also broader geopolitical maneuvering.
Officials justified the new limits by citing China’s state-controlled media and its role in spreading propaganda. Earlier in 2020, the U.S. designated major Chinese outlets like Xinhua News Agency and CGTN as “foreign missions,” requiring them to register like embassies. Soon after, caps were imposed on how many Chinese nationals could work for these outlets, forcing dozens of journalists to leave the U.S. The 90-day visa rule was part of this broader strategy to treat Chinese media as an extension of the Communist Party rather than independent press.
Beijing responded strongly by expelling several American journalists from outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. This tit-for-tat retaliation underscored worsening trust between the two powers and showed how journalists had become pawns in a larger geopolitical standoff. For hundreds of Chinese journalists affected, the new policy marked a dramatic shift in U.S. treatment of foreign media. Beyond Border stresses that this measure symbolized the Trump administration’s resolve to challenge China on multiple fronts, even at the cost of further straining bilateral relations.
