China has the right to challenge the abusive article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a routine online press briefing on Thursday.

File photo: MFA

The WSJ published an opinion article with a racially discriminatory and sensational title on February 3. China revoked the press cards of three Beijing-based WSJ journalists on Wednesday to protest its malicious slander and attack on the country.

“It’s not what Pompeo said about freedom of speech,” Geng Shuang said in response to US Secretary of State Pompeo’s accusation on China for revoking the press cards.

Geng said the article goes against the facts, violates professional ethics, arouses great indignation among the Chinese people and was widely condemned by the international community.

The WSJ blatantly insulted China and refused to apologize so far, which is not “freedom of speech”, Geng added.

“If you think that the WSJ has the ‘freedom’ to openly abuse others, does the abused one have the right to fight back?” Geng asked in reply.