China orders four US media outlets to disclose finances, staff

China on Wednesday ordered four US news outlets to disclose details on their staff and financial operations in the country within seven days, as a media row escalates between Washington and Beijing.

The Associated Press, United Press International, CBS and NPR must report the information -- as well as details of any real estate they hold in China -- in retaliation for Washington's crackdown this month on four Chinese state media outlets, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

China's actions are "entirely necessary countermeasures against the United States' unreasonable oppression of Chinese media organisations in the US", Zhao said at a regular press briefing.

The US State Department on June 22 reclassified four Chinese state media outlets as foreign missions in the United States, adding to five others designated in February.

After the first group of outlets were ordered to cut their Chinese staff working in the United States, Beijing hit back by expelling US nationals working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.