The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) released its “Media Freedoms Report 2025: The New Abnormal” on July 13, concluding that foreign journalists continue to face growing restrictions, intimidation, and uncertainty in China. Based on responses from 89 journalists, the report says restrictions on foreign media have become a “new normal” rather than isolated incidents.
The report finds that the scope of politically sensitive topics has expanded beyond Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and criticism of China’s leadership to include the economy and technology. Forty-seven percent of respondents said new sensitive subjects emerged over the past year, including youth unemployment, demographic decline, economic conditions, the property crisis, U.S.-China trade tensions, rare earths, and emerging technologies. Overall, 94 percent said China’s reporting environment rarely or generally failed to meet international standards for press freedom.
The report also highlights mounting operational challenges. Sixty-four percent of respondents reported being obstructed by police or other officials while reporting, while 29 percent waited more than a year to obtain journalist visas. In addition, 79 percent believed their WeChat communications were monitored, and 40 percent said their Chinese colleagues had experienced government pressure or intimidation, underscoring the Chinese authorities’ expanding use of surveillance and administrative measures to restrict foreign media reporting.
Source: Epoch Times, July 15, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/15/n14809847.htm