President Donald Trump correctly questioned if a reporter promoting the supposed efforts of Chinese companies to provide needed coronavirus supplies was working for a Chinese-government controlled media company at Monday’s press conference.

Youyou Wang asked a question that was phrased as more of a statement, describing the humanitarian efforts of Chinese companies Huawei and Alibaba as a potential motive for the United States to rescind trade restrictions on China in the wake of the epidemic.

Watch the exchange here:

Who do you work for, China? pic.twitter.com/dDeOKpHkhv

— The Mission is Great (@missionisgreat) April 6, 2020

“Who are you working for, China? Do you work for China, or do you work for a newspaper? Who are you with?”

Youyou Wang stated that she works for a privately owned media company, but scrutiny of Hong Kong Phoenix TV reveals that it’s closely linked to the Chinese government. According to The National Pulse’s Raheem Kassam, 37.1% of the company’s parent, Phoenix Satellite Holdings, is owned by a former Colonel for China’s state propaganda TV channel. Another 20% of the company is owned by Extra Step Investments Limited, which is a subsidiary of a Chinese government-owned company called China Mobile.

pic.twitter.com/BIOZsOZOpd

— Dermot O'Shea (@LUV2SKIPOW) April 6, 2020

Mainstream media operatives immediately pivoted to paint Trump’s wholly reasonable inquiry to the nature of Wang’s media company as somehow prejudiced, claiming that it was inappropriate that Trump question the motives of someone who was trying to defend China’s major corporations and government in the midst of the pandemic.

His suspicions appear to have been validated, considering no more than 65% of the company is owned by individuals and entities with demonstrable connections to the Chinese government. Many of China’s nominally ‘private’ companies are essentially owned by the nation’s authoritarian government and work tirelessly to advance its interests.