China will make necessary response to U.S. crackdown on Chinese media: foreign ministry

© Reuters/CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS FILE PHOTO: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian attends a news conference in Beijing, China

BEIJING (Reuters) – China will make the necessary response to the United States designating Chinese media firms as foreign missions, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday the State Department was designating the U.S. operations of six more China-based media companies as foreign missions, a move he said was aimed at pushing back against communist propaganda.