China bars BBC World News; RTHK ceases BBC World Service relay

China bars BBC World News; RTHK ceases BBC World Service relay

12 February 2021

China bars BBC World News; RTHK ceases BBC World Service relay

BBC World News, the international news and current affairs television channel, has been banned from broadcasting in the People’s Republic of China. China’s National Radio and Television Administration, the country’s media regulator that is under the direct control of the State Council, made the announcement on Thursday 11 February.

According to media reports, the regulator said that reports carried on BBC World News had “violated requirements that news should be truthful and fair”. The Administration said that the broadcasts had harmed the country’s interests and undermined national unity. It provided no evidence to support the claims.

The Chinese government has accused the BBC of reporting “fake news”, in particular around the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and treatment of the Uighur minority.

British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, called the decision “an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom”.

“China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage China’s reputation in the eyes of the world,” he said.

In its daily press briefing, US State Department spokesman Ned Price answering a question on the ban, said: “We absolutely condemn the PRC’s decision to ban BBC World News. The PRC maintains one of the most controlled, most oppressive, least free information spaces in the world. It’s troubling that as the PRC restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijing’s leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation. We call on the PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media.

“Media freedom, as we’ve said, is an important right, and it’s key to ensuring an informed citizenry, an informed citizenry that can share their ideas freely amongst themselves and with their leaders.”

The BBC said that it is “disappointed” by the ban. “The BBC is the world’s most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour,” it said.

AIB condemns the ban

The Association for International Broadcasting has condemned the move by the Chinese authorities. “The ban on BBC World News in China is an egregious act that has no place in the international rules-based system,” said AIB chief executive, Simon Spanswick. “China has for decades sought to restrict access by Chinese citizens to information from outside the country. It has consistently jammed Mandarin-language programming from overseas, and frequently interfered with English-language broadcasts. It has never permitted international news channels to be broadcast freely across the country. The Association for International Broadcasting calls on the Chinese government to allow BBC World News to broadcast in the country with immediate effect.”

The AIB is lodging a protest with the Chinese Ambassador in the United Kingdom and will raise the matter within the Advisory Network of the intergovernmental Media Freedom Coalition.

Chinese citizens prevented from accessing international news

It is notable that BBC World News, like all other international news services, has never been available to all Chinese citizens. Instead, distribution has been limited to international hotels and to compounds housing expatriates. Programming from the BBC’s Mandarin-language service has been prevented from reaching audiences in the country by the “Great Firewall of China” that restricts access to many websites from outside China, and to a range of social media platforms.

Programmes from western broadcasters directed towards China have repeatedly suffered from jamming by the Chinese government. The BBC’s Mandarin-language service no longer broadcasts towards China on shortwave.

Shortly after the ban was announced, RTHK – Hong Kong’s public broadcaster – announced that it was ceasing relays of BBC radio services. This caused concern in the former British colony, with the head of the University of Hong Kong’s journalism and media studies centre, Keith Richburg, saying it’s “surprising” that RTHK has pulled the plug on its live relay of BBC World Service. His remarks were quoted on RTHK here.

BBC Global News is a Member of the Association for International Broadcasting

UK media regulator revokes CGTN broadcasting licence

UK media regulator revokes CGTN broadcasting licence

4 February 2021

UK media regulator revokes CGTN broadcasting licence

UK media regulator Ofcom announced on 4 February that it has withdrawn the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK. The regulator gave details of its decision, stating that “…after its investigation concluded that the licence is wrongfully held by Star China Media Limited.”

Ofcom’s statement on the affair said:

“China Global Television Network (CGTN) is an international English-language satellite news channel.

In the UK, broadcasting laws made by Parliament state that broadcast licensees must have control over the licensed service – including editorial oversight over the programmes they show. In addition, under these laws, licence holders cannot be controlled by political bodies.[1]

Our investigation concluded that Star China Media Limited (SCML), the licence-holder for the CGTN service, did not have editorial responsibility for CGTN’s output. As such, SCML does not meet the legal requirement of having control over the licensed service, and so is not a lawful broadcast licensee.

In addition, we have been unable to grant an application to transfer the licence to an entity called China Global Television Network Corporation (CGTNC). This is because crucial information was missing from the application, and because we consider that CGTNC would be disqualified from holding a licence, as it is controlled by a body which is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

We have given CGTN significant time to come into compliance with the statutory rules. Those efforts have now been exhausted.

Following careful consideration, taking account of all the facts and the broadcaster’s and audience’s rights to freedom of expression, we have decided it is appropriate to revoke the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK.

We expect to conclude separate sanctions proceedings against CGTN for due impartiality and fairness and privacy breaches shortly.

Ofcom’s investigation

Our investigation found that SCML does not have editorial responsibility for selecting or compiling CGTN’s programme schedule. It is the distributor of the CGTN service in the UK, rather than “the provider” of the service.[2]

In addition, none of the employees involved in CGTN’s decision-making, or day-to-day running of the channel, appear to be employed by SCML. CGTNC confirmed that its Global Editorial Board is the ultimate decision maker over the selection and organisation of programmes for the CGTN service and exercises editorial control.

CGTN’s licence transfer application

In response to our enquiries, CGTN accepted that SCML did not control the channel and should no longer hold the licence. But it confirmed its intention to restructure to separate the CGTN division from China Central Television (CCTV) – which is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and so disqualified from holding a UK broadcast licence[3] – and apply to transfer the licence to an entity which did control the channel.

Given the revocation of a broadcast licence is a significant interference with a broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression, we considered it appropriate to allow CGTN a reasonable period of time to come into compliance.

An application to transfer the licence to CGTNC was submitted in September 2020. However, we were unable to properly assess it. Crucial information was missing from the application, while the restructure that CGTN had signalled had not, and still has not, taken place.

CGTN has since repeatedly failed to respond to important questions necessary to our assessment of its application to transfer the licence, or to offer any update on progress with its restructure.

Links between CGTNC and CCTV

Having considered the available evidence, we have decided we are unable to grant the application to transfer the licence from SCML to CGTNC.

Correspondence from CGTN submitted during the course of our investigation makes clear that CGTNC is controlled by CCTV, which is also the sole shareholder of CGTNC.

Given CGTNC is controlled by CCTV – which, as part of the China Media Group, is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and therefore disqualified from holding a broadcast licence under UK broadcasting laws – we consider that CGTNC would be disqualified from holding a licence.

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Our investigation showed that the licence for China Global Television Network is held by an entity which has no editorial control over its programmes. We are unable to approve the application to transfer the licence to China Global Television Network Corporation because it is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, which is not permitted under UK broadcasting law.

“We’ve provided CGTN with numerous opportunities to come into compliance, but it has not done so. We now consider it appropriate to withdraw the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK.”

Other CGTN cases

In 2020 we found CGTN in breach of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code for failing to preserve due impartiality in its coverage of the Hong Kong protests, and also found a serious breach of our fairness and privacy rules.[4]

Due to the seriousness of these breaches, we told CGTN that we would consider imposing sanctions.

Today’s decision does not affect these sanctions proceedings against CGTN, and we expect to reach our decisions shortly.

We have three other fairness and privacy investigations about content on the CGTN service which also remain ongoing, pending further consideration.”

CGTN has been monitored still broadcasting to the UK via the Freesat platform at the headquarters of the AIB at 1530GMT on 4 February.

UPDATE: The service ceased on Freesat at 1638GMT. 

China authorities detain Bloomberg News Beijing staff member

China authorities detain Bloomberg News Beijing staff member

11 December 2020

China authorities detain Bloomberg News Beijing staff member

Chinese authorities have detained Haze Fan, who works for the Bloomberg News bureau in Beijing, on suspicion of endangering national security.

Fan was last in contact with one of her editors around 11:30 a.m. local time on Monday 7 December. Shortly after, she was seen being escorted from her apartment building by plain clothes security officials.

Throughout the four days since her disappearance, Bloomberg has sought information on Fan’s whereabouts from the Chinese government and the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC. Her family was informed within 24 hours. Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News, on Thursday 11 December received confirmation that Fan is being held on suspicion of participating in activities endangering national security.

“We are very concerned for her, and have been actively speaking to Chinese authorities to better understand the situation. We are continuing to do everything we can to support her while we seek more information,” said a Bloomberg spokesperson.

Fan, a Chinese citizen, began working for Bloomberg in 2017 and was previously with CNBC, CBS News, Al Jazeera and Thomson Reuters. Chinese nationals can only work as news assistants for foreign news bureaus in China and are not allowed to do independent reporting.

“Chinese citizen Ms. Fan has been detained by the Beijing National Security Bureau according to relevant Chinese law on suspicion of engaging in criminal activities that jeopardize national security. The case is currently under investigation. Ms. Fan’s legitimate rights have been fully ensured and her family has been notified,” the Chinese authorities said.

The Guardian newspaper reports that British Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat, chair of the UK  parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has condemned the Chinese authorities: “The detention of another journalist by Beijing’s CCP is very concerning,” he said on Twitter. “Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. I hope Haze Fan will be released soon.”

The Association for International Broadcasting is monitoring the situation closely and is in touch with Bloomberg executives and editors. The AIB will support Bloomberg – an AIB Member – and Ms Fan in any way that it can.

Photo credit: Haze Fan/Facebook

RSF urges Chinese ambassador to stop harassing Swedish media

RSF urges Chinese ambassador to stop harassing Swedish media

18 March 2019

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned repeated attacks by the Chinese embassy against Swedish journalists and insists that diplomatic missions have no say in the editorial content of media in their host country.

“But why is he so harsh?” This is a question that Swedish journalists keep asking in reference to Chinese ambassador to Sweden, Gui Congyou, who has embarked on a “truth” crusade against the country’s media since taking office in August 2017. The ambassador, who developed his career between the Chinese Embassy in Russia and the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seems to have trouble understanding that in Sweden, a country ranked second in the RSF’s 2018 World Press Freedom Index, journalists are not subject to censorship.

On the embassy’s website, the ambassador recently posted a long, unsigned attack against SVT Nyheter, a major Swedish news outlet. The diplomat castigates the site for giving a platform to David Liao, Representative to the Taipei Mission in Sweden, on February 27. Liao published an opinion piece calling support for Taiwanese democracy against Chinese threat. According to Gui Congyou, the article “challenges the one China principle” and  “amounts to serious political provocation.” Beijing is very aggressive in claiming sovereignty over the island of Taiwan, despite it having an independent government since 1949.

“Diplomatic missions have no say in the editorial content of media in their host country,” says Erik Halkjaer, the president of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Sweden. Cédric Alviani, the head of RSF East Asia bureau, considers that these attacks “reveal the unrestrained attitude with which Beijing is now trying to impose its censorship outside its borders.”

The attack on SVT Nyheter is indeed not an isolated incident. Since July of 2018, the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm has attacked multiple Swedish news sources, including Dagens Nyheter (DN),  Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT), 8 Sidor, Upsala Nya Tidning, Dagens Samhälle, Nya Wermlands-Tidningen, and Svenska Dagbladet (SvD).

The ambassador was particularly harsh towards Swedish journalist Jojje Olsson, author of a book on the Swedish publisher Gui Minhai, who was kidnapped in Thailand in 2015 and is still detained in China with no scheduled sentencing. Last December, he also attacked Swedish journalist and commentator Kurdo Baksi, accusing him of “instigating hatred against China.”

China is the world’s biggest jailers of journalists, with more than 60 currently detained. In the 2018 World Press Freedom Index published by RSF, the country rank stagnates at 176th out of 180.

DW’s Chinese-language online content now easier to access in China

16 January 2015

DW’s Chinese-language online content is now easier to access in China, despite state censorship. The cooperation between DW and Greatfire enables users to freely access DW’s website, blocked by Chinese authorities since 2008.

In this cooperative endeavor, Deusche Welle is counting on the innovative technology “Collateral Freedom” developed by the China-based organization Greatfire. The underlying principle for circumventing censorship is simple: Blocked content is distributed via the servers of large internet providers that cooperate with Greatfire.

“If these servers were blocked, a large number of popular web services in China would also fail. We can therefore assume that the state censors will refrain from actions with such wide-reaching consequences,” says DW’s Managing Director of Distribution, Marketing and Technology Guido Baumhauer.

What is currently a three-month collaboration with Greatfire offers DW effective access to the Chinese market through circumvention of state censorship, says Philipp Bilsky, head of DW’s Chinese service. “We want to reach a broad audience with our Chinese-language online content, and Greatfire, particularly because accessibility is made so easy, marks an important step in this direction.”

Baumhauer sees it as “a bit more freedom of information for those who either don’t want to or are unable to use specialized software to bypass internet censorship.” He also says that the software can be recommended for anyone who wants to access all of DW’s multilingual online content.

In China, users who are interested must now be made aware of the new possibilities available to them. To this end, DW is using Facebook, Twitter and email newsletters to disseminate the web addresses that provide access to the Chinese-language content. DW is also relying on Chinese living in exile to communicate the information.

“Although these services are also partly or intermittently blocked in China, this approach is promising because users have learned to find very creative ways to access the information anyway,” says Baumhauer.

In Iran, which practises strict internet censorship similar to that in China, DW has been actively circumventing censorship for the last two years with the help of a specifically developed software from Psiphon.

This enables for example the use of DW content via a smartphone app. As a consequence, the number of page views has steadily increased to over three million per month.

“However, success in circumventing censorship can’t just be measured by statistics,” says Baumhauer. “The availability of freely accessible information and the feeling that one can freely inform oneself alone constitutes an important step.”

DW Chinese: dw.de/chinese