China takes aim again at BBC as dispute with Britain intensifies

[rooster59]

China takes aim again at BBC as dispute with Britain intensifies

By Gabriel Crossley

 

FILE PHOTO: People arrive and depart from Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC, in London Britain July 2, 2015. REUTERS/Paul Hackett/File Photo

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - The BBC came under renewed fire from Chinese officials on Friday in a diplomatic dispute a day after Britain's media regulator revoked the TV licence of Chinese state media outlet CGTN.

 

Britain and China have exchanged barbs for months over China's crackdown on dissent in the former British colony of Hong Kong, concern over the security of Huawei technology, and the treatment of ethnic Uighur Muslims in China's Xinjiang region.

 

On Thursday, Britain's Ofcom revoked the licence of CGTN, the English-language sister channel of state broadcaster CCTV, after concluding that China's ruling Communist Party had ultimate editorial responsibility for the channel.

 

Minutes later, China's foreign ministry accused the British Broadcasting Corp of pushing "fake news" in its COVID-19 reporting, demanding an apology and saying that the broadcaster had politicized the pandemic and "rehashed theories about covering up by China".

 

The BBC said its reporting is fair and unbiased.

 

On Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin criticised the Ofcom ruling as "politicising the issue on a technical point" and warned that China reserves the right to make a "necessary response".

 

Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper separately reported on Thursday that Britain had in the past year expelled three Chinese spies who were there on journalism visas.

 

China's state media has ramped up attacks on the British public broadcaster in recent weeks.

 

"I highly suspect that the BBC has been closely instigated by the intelligence agencies of the US and the UK. It has become a bastion of the Western public opinion war against China," Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Communist Party-backed tabloid the Global Times, said on Twitter.

 

The foreign ministry's criticism of the BBC was among the top trends on China's Weibo social media platform on Friday.

 

"BBC shall not become Bad-mouthing Broadcasting Corporation," ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Twitter.

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman declined to comment directly when asked if it was appropriate for the Chinese government to criticise the BBC.

 

"The UK is committed to the promotion of media freedom internationally, and to championing democracy and human rights, around the world," the spokesman said.

 

BBC broadcasts, like those of most major Western news outlets, are blocked in China.

 

Some people called for the BBC to be expelled in response to CGTN's licence being revoked.

 

"The BBC has long been stationed in Beijing, yet has always held ideological prejudice and broadcast fake news from its platform, deliberately defaming China. After so many years, it's past time that we took action," one Weibo user said.

 

The BBC's coverage of Xinjiang came under heavy criticism after it reported on Wednesday that women in internment camps for ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the region were subject to rape and torture.

 

China's foreign ministry said the report had no factual basis. The Global Times said in an editorial on Friday that the BBC had "seriously violated journalistic ethics".

 

(Reporting by Gabriel Crossley, additional reporting by William James in London; Editing by Tony Munroe, Robert Birsel and Angus MacSwan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-06

 

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[PatOngo]

24 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

It has become a bastion of the Western public opinion war against China,

Yes, sentiment is changing, the aggressive, bullying expansionist policies in practice are turning opinion against China! Let alone what covid 19 has done to turn opinion!

[2530Ubon]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

China's foreign ministry said the report had no factual basis. The Global Times said in an editorial on Friday that the BBC had "seriously violated journalistic ethics"

"Seriously violated" seems to be the phrase they use every time. I think there are over a million Uighers who would say they have been seriously violated in China... but the CCP only denies it's happening. They're training camps. Pretty sure Hitler said something similar about his concentration camps.

[bannork]

Boycott all Chinese goods I say. Trouble is my phone was made by a Chinese company and I'm rather fond of it 

[2530Ubon]

6 minutes ago, bannork said:

Boycott all Chinese goods I say. Trouble is my phone was made by a Chinese company and I'm rather fond of it 

Isn't everything made in China?

 

Good idea, but we'd have to move all of our manufacturing to other countries

Edited February 6, 2021 by 2530Ubon

[Trentham]

1 hour ago, bannork said:

Boycott all Chinese goods I say. Trouble is my phone was made by a Chinese company and I'm rather fond of it 

I broke my gardening fork. Went to the hardware store. First one I picked up was $22 made in China - put it back. Next was $44 and then $46 both made in China - put them back on the rack. Next one was $65 made in Australia - took it to the checkout.

[zyphodb]

1 hour ago, Trentham said:

I broke my gardening fork. Went to the hardware store. First one I picked up was $22 made in China - put it back. Next was $44 and then $46 both made in China - put them back on the rack. Next one was $65 made in Australia - took it to the checkout.

Almost certainly made with steel imported from China...

[jaiyen]

14 minutes ago, zyphodb said:

Almost certainly made with steel imported from China...

But China buys most of its iron ore from Australia. The mild steel sheets that comes from China are <deleted> !  We use better quality steel processed in India or Thailand.

 

[SunsetT]

RT should also be blocked.

[RocketDog]

5 hours ago, bannork said:

Boycott all Chinese goods I say. Trouble is my phone was made by a Chinese company and I'm rather fond of it 

Not to mention the fact that we have very little alternative to Chinese goods in SE Asia. I knowingly buy inferior Chinese goods regularly understanding that they will last only months at best but with other brands unavailable. Shoes are a mundane example. 

 

But all nations can at least rebel against letting the CCP take advantage of other countries free press laws to operate their propaganda and spy shops.

 

Buying Chinese computers, phones, IOT, and IT equipment is potentially literally becoming a node in their surveillance network. If a device is in any way connected to the internet then it's potentially spying for the CCP. In this consumer area there really are many alternative sources. 

[phantomfiddler]

Let's face it, BBC used to be a fair and respected broadcaster of news MANY years ago, but their relatively recent airing of Asian matters, ie the Bangkok riots, showed that they were completely removed from reality yet informing the world of the situation. They are the last station I would turn to for news. I even sent in 2 letters of complaint, unheard of !! 

[JimHuaHin]

4 hours ago, Trentham said:

I broke my gardening fork. Went to the hardware store. First one I picked up was $22 made in China - put it back. Next was $44 and then $46 both made in China - put them back on the rack. Next one was $65 made in Australia - took it to the checkout.

 

I do the same, but with respect to food.  My local supermarket has a lot of fresh and frozen foods made in China, most of it half the price of local foods or other imported foods.  And like you, if it is made in China, I am not buying it,  and I am willing to pay more for the non-China-made product.

[teacherclaire]

Let's not hope that all UK citizens will speak Chinese in the future. Niehau! 

[oznomad]

China - just like the persistently upset neighbour that gets under everybody's skin. Perhaps a good long look in the mirror may be of assistance.

Poking many countries in the eye, bullying lots more, and using money to get small friends will not lead to China's 'best life'.

 

I hope they pay attention to this response. ????

[Surelynot]

If anyone is going to wreak havoc at the BBC it will the Tory swivel-eyed loons who are so paranoid they think it is run by Momentum.......pfft.

[Phoenix Rising]

33 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

Let's face it, BBC used to be a fair and respected broadcaster of news MANY years ago, but their relatively recent airing of Asian matters, ie the Bangkok riots, showed that they were completely removed from reality yet informing the world of the situation. They are the last station I would turn to for news. I even sent in 2 letters of complaint, unheard of !! 

Really?? I watched the BBC's coverage and it was mostly spot on.

 

Wrt the China vs UK rumble it really becomes clear what an enormous advantage it would have been for the UK to be member of a political and economic union of like minded countries greatly increasing it's clout on the world scene. Now, if only something like that existed..........

Edited February 6, 2021 by Phoenix Rising

[Elkski]

I worry we can't wean ourselves off cheap Chinese products or components used in local products.  I worry we don't have intelligent workers who could actually work 45 hours a week doing mundane tasks.   And we currently see there is no support for a increase in the minimum wage.   Company owners are spoiled from making so much money the last 20 years they don't want to share it with the workers.  I even have a neighbor who worked in the oil industry as a platform flunkie who was stationed in some expat community in China.   He lost his job a few years ago and is in early retirement.  He and his wife are fanboys of China.  He won't hear any of the negative things I have to say. 

[pacovl46]

Newsflash China: you brought it upon yourself that the public opinion in the west towards you changed to the negative because of your despicable behavior across almost every topic one could possibly think of!

 

It’s really time that the whole world takes shots at China! Worldwide economic embargo would do the trick just fine for 12 months to put them back in their place/Stone Age! 

[goldenbrwn1]

At last something decent done by the beeb .

[Meat Pie 47]

 

China has slapped tariffs on Australian wine and barley exporters. Restrictions on coal, lobsters, timber, red meat and cotton exports from Down Under have also been placed. China has not introduced any restrictions on Australia's biggest export to the country: Iron ore

[Slain]

If the Chinese would like to allow a BBC film crew to be  given a free tour of the area and the camps (for want of a better word) I am sure there would be no problem with the BBC apologising for telling the lies they have..  Of course that won't happen and the world already knows why.

[condohope]

I used to watch BBC's Hard Talk but stopped after this awfully biased interview with a Hong Kong official in which he was lectured on democracy for the people of Hong Kong, totally ignoring the fact that Britain had 100 years to implement democracy in Hong Kong and now is wailing about the lack of it, totally ignoring the fact that Hong-Kong today has more of democracy than the occupier ever had granted. MSM = BBC sucks

[Scott]

Off-topic, troll posts removed. 

 

[Edwin Cameron]

Not to worry,tell <deleted> Wenban soon all the children in China will be brainwashed into thinking all the west is bad and only China matters, they are going to start teaching 6 year olds to 'Hate'.in Hong Kong and no doubt the whole of China.

[zyphodb]

10 hours ago, Edwin Cameron said:

Not to worry,tell <deleted> Wenban soon all the children in China will be brainwashed into thinking all the west is bad and only China matters, they are going to start teaching 6 year olds to 'Hate'.in Hong Kong and no doubt the whole of China.

They've been doing that for many years haven't they? China has been known for being hugely racist for a VERY long time...

[mike787]

What is it with those Chinese again 

[jayboy]

20 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Let's face it, BBC used to be a fair and respected broadcaster of news MANY years ago, but their relatively recent airing of Asian matters, ie the Bangkok riots, showed that they were completely removed from reality yet informing the world of the situation. They are the last station I would turn to for news. I even sent in 2 letters of complaint, unheard of !! 

I was puzzled by this post because my clear impression was that the BBC had covered the recent protests in Bangkok very well with a commendable quality of context and analysis.Jonathan Head is a first class and very experienced reporter and the Thai language coverage was also excellent.It was therefore strange to see your view that the BBC coverage was completely removed from reality.I was tempted to set out a few points which might clarify matters for you.I then noticed that elsewhere you had queried the need for vaccination against Covid 19 and suggested we instead rely on our own immune systems.That saved me a bit of time since we seem to be dealing with a fruitcake.

[SunsetT]

17 hours ago, Edwin Cameron said:

Not to worry,tell <deleted> Wenban soon all the children in China will be brainwashed into thinking all the west is bad and only China matters, they are going to start teaching 6 year olds to 'Hate'.in Hong Kong and no doubt the whole of China.

New job for Trump...China first....Wei to go!!!

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by SunsetT

[7by7]

On 2/6/2021 at 3:14 PM, goldenbrwn1 said:

At last something decent done by the beeb .

 For many years in various social media, blogs, letters in MSM etc. I have seen many complaints of BBC bias coming in equal measure from both the far right and the far left.

 

Which indicates to me that they're probably not biased at all.

 

The usual extremist viewpoint being; "I disagree with what you say; therefore you are biased!" Coupled with "I agree with you on this occasion, so you're not biased about this subject."

[Banana7]

On 2/6/2021 at 6:35 PM, JimHuaHin said:

 

I do the same, but with respect to food.  My local supermarket has a lot of fresh and frozen foods made in China, most of it half the price of local foods or other imported foods.  And like you, if it is made in China, I am not buying it,  and I am willing to pay more for the non-China-made product.

Smart move on the food.

 

China has very little food quality or safety inspection. Most of the soil in China is heavily contaminated with different toxic material and heavy metals. They also apply all sorts of home brewed fertilizers and weed killers, to speed-up growing and increase the size of fruits and vegetables. These toxins, fertilizers and metals get absorbed by the plants and their fruits. Consequently the buyer also consumes these dangerous extra bits. Garlic and carrots are 2 of the worst ones. Buyer beware!