It is hegemonic bullying, says China after US caps Chinese nationals in state media in US

A day after the Trump administration announced caps on the number of Chinese nationals who can work for state-run media in the United States, the Chinese government said it will retaliate against US "bullying".

"Out of a Cold War mindset and ideological bias, the US State Department uses groundless reasons to politically oppress Chinese media organisations based in the US," China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said while strongly opposing the US move.

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"The hypocrisy of the United States' so-called freedom of the press as blatant double standard and hegemonic bullying," the foreign ministry spokesman added.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo had announced on Monday that the US government would be implementing personnel cap on Chinese government-controlled media organizations in the United States.

"We urge Beijing to respect freedom of expression and will continue to seek reciprocity across the bilateral relationship," Pompeo had said.

The move by the US comes as China ordered three reporters from The Wall Street Journal to leave the country after the US-based newspaper in a headline said "China is the Real Sick Man of Asia" although the journalists hadn't written the opinion piece.

However, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said: "It was the US who broke the rules of the game first, China can only follow suit."