China always welcomes foreign journalists to report in China

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday that China always welcomes foreign journalists to do reporting in China in accordance with laws and regulations.

China will provide convenience and assistance to them as always, Geng said at a press briefing in response to a question concerning the country's new countermeasures against restrictive measures on Chinese media agencies in the United States.

Geng said the countermeasures are necessary and reciprocal measures China was compelled to take in response to the unreasonable oppression the Chinese media organizations experience in the United States, reiterating that China's opening-up policy has not changed and will not change in the future.

When asked whether the move would influence China's epidemic information transparency, Geng said China has adopted the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic in an open, transparent and responsible manner and achieved significant results.

China has maintained close communication and cooperation with the World Health Organization as well as relevant countries and regions, and shared information with them in a timely manner, the spokesman said, adding that China's efforts bought precious time for the world and contributed to the global response to the pandemic.