Congress urged to tighten rules on Chinese state-run news organizations in U.S.

WASHINGTON—All staff of Chinese state-run media outlets in the United States should be required to register with the government as foreign agents as they may be supporting Chinese intelligence gathering and “information warfare,” congressional advisers said Wednesday.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said that Beijing has rapidly expanded its overseas media presence to promote a positive view of the rising Asian nation and the ruling communist party, even as it has tightened its control over media and online content at home, and increased restrictions on foreign journalists in China.

The bipartisan commission recommends that Congress strengthen the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, which requires registration by people or companies disseminating information in the U.S. on behalf of foreign governments, political parties and other “foreign principals.” The law is applied to foreign lobbying efforts, but the Justice Department has also required registration by media outlets funded by foreign governments.

While some state-run Chinese media outlets do register, the commission says the law is applied unevenly. It calls for all staff of state-run outlets to be registered as they are not part of an open press.

“They should all have to register under FARA,” said Larry Wortzel, who sits on the 12-member commission. “Since 1978, the U.S. cannot use the press for intelligence collection or perception management by law, and that’s not the case with China.”

The commission is mandated to provide recommendations to Congress for legislative and administrative action but its proposals don’t carry legal weight. Its members are selected by leaders of both parties in the House and Senate. They include former U.S. lawmakers, and former U.S. government, military and intelligence officials.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the commission’s annual report. It was released as President Donald Trump returned from a five-nation trip to Asia, including a state visit to China, where he criticized the government over trade but praised its leader, Xi Jinping.

The Russian state-funded TV channel RT registered under FARA this week after pressure from the U.S. government. The U.S. intelligence agencies have alleged RT served as a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin as part of its multi-pronged effort to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia denies interfering.