Will the China operations of The New York Times and Bloomberg News shut down at the end of this month? Only on Dec. 19 did the Chinese government issue press cards allowing these journalists to apply for residence visas, which it had been withholding. No reasons have been given for the implied threat, but investigative reports on the spectacular wealth of top government officials probably had something to do with it.

Even if the journalists get their visas, the government's goal has been obvious: to plant fear in the back of the journalists' minds in an effort to rein in their future reporting.

The outside world has been shocked at the prospect of two major news organizations shutting down. But to Chinese who have dared to utter unauthorized truths, this is a familiar pattern: If you behave, you can talk. Cross the line? We have our methods.