NEW YORK, N.Y. - A New York Times correspondent who has worked in China for more than a decade has been forced to leave the country because his visa wasn't renewed.

Chris Buckley, a 45-year-old Australian, flew to Hong Kong on Monday. Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson says the newspaper made repeated requests for the Chinese government to renew his journalist visa.

She says she hopes authorities will issue him a new visa soon so he and his family can return to Beijing. Abramson said a journalist visa also has been denied for Philip Pan, who is designated to serve as the newspaper's bureau chief in Beijing.

The newspaper reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on Buckley's departure. The government has reacted negatively toward foreign media following stories that probed senior officials' finances.

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