Taipei [Taiwan], January 5 : Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that the Chinese newspaper Strait Herald would be indefinitely barred from stationing reporters in Taiwan due to its involvement in "united front work" activities and said that it no longer consider the outlet as a "legitimate media platform," according to a report by Focus Taiwan.
"The media outlet has a clear nature of engaging in united front work targeting Taiwan... We believe the Strait Herald is no longer a legitimate media platform," Liang Wen-chieh, deputy head and spokesperson of the MAC said on Thursday.
Liang Wen-chieh, didn't provide any detailed explanations for the timing of the decision.
Liang also noted that Lin Jingdong, a member of the Strait Herald management committee, had been found by the Taichung District Court in August to have fabricated public opinion polls about Taiwan's 2024 presidential election. The polls were allegedly intended to manipulate public opinion and interfere in the election.
In addition to the ban on Strait Herald reporters, Taiwanese authorities will also prohibit the newspaper's parent organisation, Fujian Daily Newspaper Group, from assigning reporters to Taiwan, Liang added.
Currently, the Strait Herald has one reporter stationed in Taiwan whose permit is valid until January 23. The MAC clarified that the reporter would not be required to leave before the permit expires.
Chinese reporters permitted by Taiwanese authorities to work in Taiwan are allowed to stay for up to three months at a time, according to MAC regulations.
In response to the MAC's announcement, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that the suspension was an act of "smearing with groundless accusations" against Chinese reporters stationed in Taiwan for their "legitimate reporting activities," Focus Taiwan reported.
As of now, there are 12 reporters from eight Chinese media outlets stationed in Taiwan, including China Central Television, China National Radio, Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, China News Service, Xiamen Star, Strait Herald, and Hunan Broadcasting System, according to the MAC.
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