Reference News Network, September 13 - According to the "Central News Agency" in Taiwan, on September 11, more than 100 international media and journalism organizations called on the U.S. government not to shorten the stay period of foreign journalists in the United States, or it would harm the international image of the United States.
118 signatory organizations, including AFP, stated in a joint statement that President Trump's visa plan would "reduce the quantity and quality of news from the United States" and "damage rather than enhance the global standing of the United States."
The supporters of the statement include international news agencies such as AFP and Reuters, public media such as the BBC, Germany's ARD, and Australia's ABC, as well as national newspapers such as Canada's Globe and Mail and Ireland's The Times, as well as journalism organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The Trump administration proposed a plan at the end of last month to shorten the visa period for foreign journalists to 240 days (with an application for extension of no more than 240 days), and set a four-year limit on student visas. The current regulations allow foreign journalists to reside in the United States for up to five years.
The statement emphasized that the five-year term allows journalists to "gain in-depth knowledge, build credible networks, and integrate into the background context, thus explaining the United States to a global audience," which is crucial to American interests.
These news agencies warned that shortening the stay period for foreign journalists "would limit the world's understanding of U.S. news and current events."
This visa reform is part of a broader tightening of U.S. visa policies for foreigners.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7549405879838278187/
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