The Chinese Communist Regime's....
- From: cnw <cnw@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 14:22:49 +0800
The Chinese Communist Regime's Control of Overseas Media
Interview with Ms. He Qinglian
By Zhu Jiang
Special to The Epoch Times Aug 18, 2006
On Aug. 11, an overseas Chinese media outlet, which had never interviewed Yuan,
published a biased report inconsistent with Yuan Sheng's story.
To look deeper into the issue of media coverage regarding Yuan's story, The
Epoch Times interviewed Ms. He Qinglian, who is familiar with the CCP's control
of Chinese overseas media outlets.
Ms. He Qinglian is currently a senior researcher for Human Rights in China
(HRIC). Her book The Pitfall of China's Modernization has been highly regarded
as "the prophet of China's reform," and "the book that dares to speak the
truth." Ms. He was forced to leave China because of this book. Her newly
published book The Fogged China is based on the content of her special report
"How the Chinese Government Controls the Media," but with numerous additions.
Written from the perspective of an insider, it factually exposes the regime's
control over mainland Chinese media by systematically analyzing various angles
including the law, regulations, policy, detailed operations of the relevant
government departments, and comments from journalists.
Following is a transcript based on the phone interview with Ms. He regarding the
regime's control and influence over overseas Chinese media.
Inside China, People Cannot Imagine the CCP Control of Overseas Chinese Media
When I was in China, I would browse the [reports] from overseas Chinese media
outlets. At that time, I felt their reports were similar to Xinhua News Agency
[China's state-run media]. I thought it was because they did not have
journalists in China and thus could not understand what was happening in China.
After I went abroad, I figured out that the CCP pays a great deal of attention
to controlling the overseas Chinese media?the so-called "unified frontline"
project. Since early on, the CCP has controlled quite a few overseas Chinese
media outlets by investing, becoming a stockholder and sponsoring or buying
advertisements.
Money really talks. On November 21, 2001, The Jamestown Foundation, an
independent U.S. non-profit organization, published a report titled "How China's
Government Is Attempting to Control Chinese Media in America." The CCP has
seriously endeavored to use the above means to control four major Chinese media
outlets: World Journal, SingTao USA, Mingpao, and China Press.
The overseas Chinese media outlets have financial issues. Because Chinese
readers are widely dispersed, the market is relatively small. To survive in an
extremely competitive environment, many Chinese media outlets have relinquished
their professional ethics. Some of these overseas CCP representatives are
disguised, while some are obvious.
Using Overseas Chinese Media to Cheat Mainland Chinese People
Recently, China has held several global Chinese media conferences. They invite
the Chinese media from around the world back to Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou,
etc. No doubt, these invited media outlets are the ones that have good
relationships with the CCP.
For example, the Third World Chinese Media Conference was held separately in
Wuhan and Guangzhou. The Wuhan conference claimed to have more than 200 Chinese
media delegates from 45 countries worldwide, the Guangzhou conference claimed 62
delegates from 26 countries.
Because of the painstaking exaggeration of the mainland Chinese media [regarding
these conferences], Chinese people might be led to believe that Chinese media
outlets have become the mainstream in the world. Some witless Chinese local
media even reported that overseas Chinese media are exploring the possibility of
cooperating with mainland Chinese media.
These kinds of global Chinese media conferences have the effect of acting as
deceptive propaganda in China. Because people in China don't know where the
overseas Chinese media's finances come from, when they see such big conferences,
they presume that under the rule of the CCP, China can organize overseas Chinese
people and believe that despotic China has a good image in the international
community.
The most misleading part is that Chinese readers believe those Chinese media
that attended the conferences to be "independent media" that advocate the spirit
of freedom.
Although the participants know the real roles they play, these kinds of "big
gatherings" really attract them.
According to one participant, "It was a typical Chinese gathering. There were
things to eat, to drink, and amusements. We got applause, took pictures, made
speeches and summarized our experiences. We got information and gifts. We were
welcomed and waved farewell."
The sponsors intended to bribe these overseas Chinese media. And the
participants hope to be noticed to attract the Chinese authorities' attention
and focus so that they can obtain more resources.
Overseas Chinese media have quite a lot of readers. However, they always
complain that they don't have enough headroom to develop.
Actually, the real problem is in the media outlets themselves. The media
environment in western countries is free, but the Chinese media give up morality
and conscience and the principles of truth in reporting for their own gains, and
thus become the overseas mouthpiece of the CCP. This is the main reason that the
Chinese media have difficulty becoming a bona fide media.
The "Unified Frontline" Project
The CCP authorities pay much attention to the influence of overseas Chinese
media. In a meeting held in mainland China on how to "unify" overseas Chinese,
they have openly claimed that Chinese authorities have three methods: overseas
Chinese schools, overseas Chinese media and overseas Chinese associations.
Chinese associations, which are akin to the CCP, canvass the overseas Chinese
people to participate in the activities held by Chinese consulates, for example
welcoming Jiang Zeming and Hu Jintao to the U.S. They also use these Chinese
associations to exclude dissidents, Falun Gong, and so on.
Ostensibly, Chinese schools are for spreading Chinese culture, but the textbooks
they use inevitably carrying the hue of the CCP's ideology. And it also
organizes all kinds of activities to achieve the aim of unifying the overseas
Chinese people.
The Hong Kong media environment has been continually deteriorating since Hong
Kong returned to China in 1997. The infiltration of the CCP fund organizations,
the deterioration of the media's environment, and the self-restraint of the
media workers are the three factors which affect each other [and exacerbate the
whole situation]. At present, it's hard for media not associated with the CCP to
survive. They are under great pressure.
The situation of the media in Taiwan is more complicated because there is
friction between the two major Parties. Most of the media in Taiwan originally
belonged to the Kuomintang (KMT), and the CCP fund organizations have
infiltrated into the Taiwanese media, so the media seldom report negative news
about China.
Professor Chang Chinhwa of the Graduate Institute of Journalism at National
Taiwan University has undertaken specific research into this. He pointed out
that the media in Taiwan seldom report corrupt cases involving the CCP, but
often propagandize how good the situation is in China and how good China's
achievements in economic developments are.
With regards to the mainland media's self-restraint, I can understand, because
"under the claws of a cat, a nightingale cannot sing a pleasant song." However,
for some overseas Chinese media who are willing to be the mouthpiece of the CCP,
I feel sorry for them. After all, overseas communities are open. Readers have
various sources to get information. Overseas Chinese readers have their
opinions. Over a period of time, they will start to question the credibility of
those mouthpiece media. In the end, they will abandon them like worn-out
slippers.
.
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