China Is Said to Order Reporting Ban on Mnuchin-Led Trade Talks

(Bloomberg) -- China’s largest news outlets have been ordered to refrain from reporting any material beyond official press releases related to trade talks in Beijing with the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter.

The Communist Party’s propaganda department has told news websites to strictly use statements released by the official Xinhua News Agency, without any extra interpretation, according to the people, who asked not to be named as they’re not authorized to speak on the matter.

The propaganda department didn’t immediately respond to a fax seeking comment.

The gag order came as top Trump administration economic officials led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross landed Thursday in Beijing. They plan to hold meetings with their Chinese counterparts aimed at resolving a trade impasse that’s led to threats of billions of dollars in tariffs by both sides.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Keith Zhai in Singapore at qzhai4@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey Black at jblack25@bloomberg.net, Daniel Ten Kate

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Keith Zhai