Taiwan foreign minister invites American journalists expelled by China

American journalists expelled by China are welcome to set up shop in Taiwan, foreign minister Joseph Wu said Saturday, as the democratic island burnishes its credentials as a regional free speech haven.

Beijing ordered the expulsion of 13 journalists from the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal earlier this month as part of a widening spat over media freedoms with the United States. The move marked the biggest crackdown on the foreign press in China in recent decades.

It also rattled nerves in Hong Kong because Beijing's order said the expelled reporters would not be allowed to work there, despite the semi-autonomous city supposedly controlling its own immigration decisions.

As @nytimes, @WSJ & @washingtonpost face intensifying hostility in #China, I'd like to welcome you to be stationed in #Taiwan — a country that is a beacon of freedom & democracy. Yes! You'll find people here greeting you with open arms & lots of genuine smiles. JW

— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan)