“We were prevented from reporting within the trade zone on the China-Kazakh border at Horgos. We were held for two hours trying to enter the free trade zone in the morning, then three officials insisted on following us around all day, in very close proximity.
They then told us we were not allowed to speak to any traders and business people in the free trade zone, preventing us from doing any worthwhile reporting at all.
After we left the free trade zone, we were taken away in a police car to have our credentials “checked,” — although our passports and press cards had already been photographed multiple times by many different people by this point. We were then left alone in Horgos city (outside the free trade zone) without any interference.
Ironically, we are doing a story about President Xi Jinping’s Silk Road plans: the sort of thing authorities ought to welcome. I had informed the Foreign Ministry, the Commerce Ministry and the State Council Information Office in Beijing of our trip in advance, as well as local officials, as we were requesting an interview on the ground.”