On March 3, 2020, Director-General of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying lodged stern representations to the principal official of the United States (US) Embassy in China over the US capping the number of employees of Chinese media in the US.

Hua Chunying expressed, the US Department of State required the Chinese media in the US to greatly cap the number of employees in the US in a limited time, which means de-facto "expulsion". It is utterly groundless. The US side waged this political crackdown out of the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice. The so-called freedom of press of the US side is nothing short of double standards and hegemonic bullying. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly condemns that.

Hua Chunying pointed out, Chinese journalists stationed in the US have been strictly abiding by US laws and regulations and carrying out news reporting under the principle of objectivity, fairness, truthfulness and accuracy. The US side has taken discriminatory measures against Chinese journalists in the US for a long time, as 21 journalists have been denied visa since 2018 with various excuses. The US has escalated its actions from listing the Chinese media as "foreign agents" to designating five media outlets as "foreign missions", and now to capping the number of Chinese employees which means de-facto "expulsion". Because of US mounting oppression, Chinese journalists' normal reporting activities and normal people-to-people exchanges between the two sides have been gravely damaged. The reciprocity they cannot stop talking about is in fact their exclusion of Chinese media out of prejudice and discrimination. The Chinese side urges the US side to immediately change its course and correct its wrongdoings. The Chinese side reserves the right to respond and take further actions.