Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. More than 10 envoys from these countries stationed in China detailed to Reuters the increasing difficulty they face getting access to Chinese officials and other sources of information on the world's second-largest economy. When meetings are arranged, Chinese officials stick rigidly to scripted comments, the diplomats said, while some added they experienced hostile behaviour from nationalistic academics. However, envoys from two countries which enjoy close relations with China said they had experienced no such problems. "To Chinese officials, the benefits of such engagements have become less evident, while the political and security risks are growing."

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Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Ryan Neelam, Xi, Li Qiang, Vladimir Putin, COVID, Emmanuel Macron, Antony Blinken, Yun Sun, Sun, Tong Zhao, Martin Quin Pollard, Laurie Chen, John Geddie, Nick Macfie Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Lowy Institute, China Program, Stimson, Washington D.C, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, China, India, Beijing, Australian, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, New Delhi, Moscow, Washington