cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/54037074

Taiwan's presidential office condemned China on Sunday after the New York Times said one of its reporters was expelled from the country following an ​interview the newspaper did with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.

China views democratically governed ‌Taiwan as its own territory and Lai as a "separatist." He rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

[...]

The New York Times said on Friday that its ​reporter Vivian Wang was expelled by China in February.

The paper cited an ​explanation from Chinese officials that it was in response to its ⁠DealBook summit's December video interview with Lai, and said Wang did not take ​part.

[...]

Taiwan's presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo said it was standard practice for Lai to ​take interviews and explain the government's stance to the world.

"China's use of groundless pretexts and crude methods to threaten the media and interfere with press freedom not only fails to improve its ​international image, but also highlights that today's China is indeed a source of instability," ​she said in a statement.

[...]