A US journalist who dined with Mao is Beijing’s ideal for who should cover China

Last year was not a good one for foreign journalists in China, and this year does not look to be much better. At least 18 foreign reporters were expelled from the country in the first half of 2020, according to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China, with many others either denied visa renewals or forced to contend with the uncertainty of short-term visas. Two Australian journalists, Bill Birtles and Michael Smith, were forced to flee China last September amid a dramatic diplomatic standoff, while the BBC’s John Sudworth left the country for Taiwan last month out of fear for his safety.