Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In response to a question that some Chinese media called Voice of America (VOA) a "lie factory that stirs up conflict" when reporting the news that virtually the entire VOA staff of 1,300 had been placed on leave, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that "I won't comment on Chinese media reports or on adjustments to US domestic policies, however, it's no secret that some US media outlets you mentioned have a notorious track record in their China coverage."

On March 15 local time, Michael Abramowitz, director of VOA, an international broadcaster whose parent agency is the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), confirmed on social media that he and "virtually the entire staff" of 1,300 had been placed on leave, according to Reuters. A day earlier, the White House ordered budget cuts for multiple federal agencies. Funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, also part of USAGM, has been frozen.



Global Times