China has expelled a New York Times journalist from the country over an interview the US newspaper conducted with Taiwan’s president, as Beijing steps up its campaign to isolate the self-ruled island on the world stage.Reporter Vivian Wang was ordered to leave China in February, the NYT reported, calling it the latest example of Beijing’s increasing pressure on foreign correspondents. According to the newspaper, Chinese officials said the decision was a response to Lai Ching-te’s NYT interview in December, which was conducted by Andrew Ross Sorkin.Wang, who has been working in Beijing for the newspaper since 2022, was not included in that coverage. Lai’s interview was conducted via video link at the NYT Summit in New York. The Trump administration revoked the visa of a US-based Chinese state media journalist in retaliation, the NYT said, adding that it had not requested the tit-for-tat move.According to the NYT, Chinese officials had been complaining about Wang’s coverage for months, highlighting his reporting on sensitive matters such as censorship, Beijing’s handling of the Covid pandemic and the expansion of state surveillance. The episode appears to indicate that Beijing is drawing a new line to silence Lai, whom it has termed a “separatist” and a troublemaker.China’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment outside working hours. The US State Department also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.(This is a Bloomberg story)