Epoch Times accuses CCP of blocking its reporters from attending critical press events, ASEAN summit

The Epoch Times on Wednesday accused the Chinese Communist Party of blocking their access to critical press events last month during President Donald Trump's tour of Asia.

Trump conducted a nearly week-long tour of the continent last month that included stops in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, along with appearances in South Korea and Japan.

The news outlet said its reporters were blocked from the ASEAN summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, even though they were approved for press credentials before traveling to the events.

“The Chinese Communist Party is an enemy to freedom of the press,” Epoch Times editor-in-chief Jasper Fakkert said in a statement. “It is deeply concerning that the regime is able to exert influence over international groups such as the United Nations and ASEAN to target America’s fourth-largest newspaper.”

The outlet said that they were the only news publication that was pre-approved for the events and then later denied entry. The denial comes after a series of issues involving communications discrepancies, employees who passed the buck, unlikely tech glitches, failed promises of press credentials, and sudden reversals of statements.

Epoch Times said it also aligned with previous attempts by the CCP to interfere with the outlet's reporting. Several Epoch Times reporters were arrested by the Chinese government in 2000 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Last month, Chinese hackers allegedly impersonated Epoch Times employees to threaten U.S. federal and civil organizations, and it received a bomb threat at its headquarters in New York City earlier this year.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.