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The BBC s long-serving China correspondent has fled to Taiwan after facing threats of legal action, obstruction and intimidation from Chinese authorities.
John Sudworth said he and his family left in a hurry on March 23 after being under surveillance - and were followed by plainclothes police all the way to the airport .
China s foreign ministry said they never threatened Mr Sudworth, adding that they don t know why he left because he didn t say goodbye .
The BBC said Mr Sudworth is still their China correspondent and said his work exposed truth the Chinese authorities did not want the world to know .
It comes amid rising tensions between the BBC and China over the latter s condemnation of the corporation s reporting on Xinjiang, Covid-19 and Hong Kong.
Two foreign correspondents working for the BBC and Ireland’s national broadcaster who were forced to flee China say they were targeted and threatened by the government.
China s foreign ministry took a victory lap after the BBC moved its correspondent out of the country, claiming he was smearing them sbaker@businessinsider.com (Sinéad Baker)
China said the BBC correspondent who left the country wrote fake news with ideological prejudice.
John Sudworth had examined the origins of COVID-19 and China s treatment of Uyghurs.
The BBC said Sudworth s work exposed truths that China did not want the world to know.
China took a victory lap after the BBC moved its correspondent out of the country, claiming he was smearing it.
The BBC on Wednesday said it had relocated China correspondent John Sudworth to Taiwan, saying that his work has exposed truths that Chinese authorities did not want the world to know.
CHINA / SOCIETY
By Global Times Published: Apr 01, 2021 07:23 PM
The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday called the BBC pathetic to use its reporter John Sudworth s abnormal departure to threaten and blackmail China, stressing that China is the actual victim of BBC s fake reports.
Sudworth did not inform relevant Chinese departments before his leave and did not go through normal departure procedures. His press card has expired and he no longer has the status of a resident foreign journalist in China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at Thursday s press conference.
In an 8-minute speech, Hua criticized BBC for its fake, biased reports on China in recent years, especially on COVID-19 and Xinjiang related issues, which have damaged Xinjiang residents interests and tarnished China s international image.