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WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration on Monday (local time) designated US operations of four major Chinese media outlets as “foreign missions” in an action that could further worsen diplomatic relations.

“In order to ensure greater transparency of CCP-run operations in the United States, I directed the designation of four additional PRC propaganda outlets as foreign missions,” tweeted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Over the past decade and particularly under General Secretary Xi Jinping’s tenure, the CCP has reorganized China’s ‘state propaganda outlets disguised as news agencies’ and asserted even more direct control over them, Pompeo said in a statement.

According to Jinping, the State Department said, the CCP party-owned media “must. . . embody the party’s will, safeguard the party’s authority … their actions must be highly consistent with the party.” In short, while Western media are beholden to the truth, PRC media are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party, the State Department claims.

The move comes just days after the Trump administration took control of the entire US-run state media networks including Voice of America. The newly-installed head of The U.S. Agency for Global Media, in his first week on the job fired the heads of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Marti servicing Cuba, and the Open Technology Fund. Simultaneously the top two officials at Voice of America stepped down.

The State Department’s designation on Monday targeted the China Central Television, China News Service, the country’s largest newspaper People’s Daily, and the Global Times as foreign missions. This follows the February 18 designation of Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA.

“The decision to designate these entities is not based on any content produced by these entities, nor does it place any restrictions on what the designated entities may publish in the United States. It simply recognises them for what they are,” the State Department said.

“Entities designated as foreign missions must adhere to certain administrative requirements that also apply to foreign embassies and consulates in the United States,” it added.

“This designation recognizes PRC propaganda outlets as foreign missions and increases transparency relating to the CCP and PRC government’s media activities in the United States,” it read further.

The actions by the State Department are sure to further inflame US-China tensions. It follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday of retaliatory measures against Beijing over its tightened grip on Hong Kong. (ANI/Big News Network)