US designates four major Chinese media outlets as foreign missions – Reuters

Reuters came out with the news during the late-US session on Monday signaling tensions between the US and Chinese diplomats. “The United States will start treating four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies, it said on Monday, a move that will restrict their operations on American soil,” the report said.

Key quotes

David Stilwell, the senior U.S. diplomat for East Asia, told reporters the designation would affect China Central Television, the China News Service, the People’s Daily and the Global Times, and reflected their real status as ‘propaganda outlets’ under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.

The move comes as U.S.-China tensions are heightening in the run-up to President Donald Trump’s November re-election bid.

China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The four outlets will be added to five others placed under restrictions in February over U.S. allegations that they were used by China and its Communist rulers to spread propaganda.

The outlets will be required to inform the U.S. State Department of their personnel rosters and real-estate holdings, similar to rules covering embassies and other diplomatic missions.

FX implications

The news probes the previous risk-on sentiment and pushes the AUD/USD pair for a consolidation move around 0.6900 at the start of Tuesday’s Asian session.