Al Jazeera closes China bureau after correspondent Melissa Chan expelled

Al Jazeera has been forced to close its English-language bureau in China after Beijing refused to renew correspondent Melissa Chan’s visa and press credentials, Time reported today.

Chan, a US citizen, left the Chinese capital for Los Angeles on Monday night, according to the Washington Post.

The Guardian said her departure marks the first time the communist country has expelled an accredited foreign journalist in 14 years.

Al Jazeera said in a statement it was disappointed by the decision. 

The incident has triggered strong protests from foreign journalists working in the country where authorities strictly control domestic newspapers and broadcasters.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China said it was “appalled” by Chan’s expulsion and said foreign news organizations – not Beijing – had the right to choose who worked for them in the country.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the FCCC said Beijing had complained about a 2011 documentary on China’s labor camps and had accused Chan, who was not involved in the film, of “violating” unspecified rules and regulations.

The New York Times said Al Jazeera had attempted to obtain additional visas for journalists to expand their bureau in China, but had been rejected.

In recent weeks Beijing and state-run media have criticized international coverage of the purge of disgraced senior party leader Bo Xilai and the escape of blind lawyer-activist Chen Guangcheng from house arrest, the Financial Times reported.

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Foreign journalists in China are often threatened with expulsion or face lengthy delays in getting their visas approved for covering sensitive issues such as perceived human rights abuses.

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