China pledges to protect foreign media
BEIJING — President Hu Jintao pledged Friday that Beijing would protect the rights of international news organizations reporting in China.
Hu also said in an opening speech to a meeting of global media leaders that news organizations had an obligation to help keep peace in the world.
“We will continue to make government affairs public, enhance information distribution, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign news organizations and reporters, and facilitate foreign media coverage of China in accordance with China’s laws and regulations,” Hu told the World Media Summit at the Great Hall of the People.
News coverage of China has expanded dramatically in recent years amid rising global interest in its economic boom and Beijing’s larger role in global affairs.
But while the communist government has loosened controls on reporters, it still tries to contain coverage of human rights and other sensitive topics. Reporters complain they are regularly detained and sometimes have been assaulted.
Hu said foreign media coverage had played an “important role” in telling the world about the changes in China and called on media organizations to promote peace.
The meeting, which has drawn 300 representatives from more than 170 media outlets from 80 countries, will look at the challenges and opportunities the media face from the Internet, technology changes and the world economic crisis.
Major figures at the meeting include Tom Curley, president and chief executive of The Associated Press; News Corp. boss Rupert Murdoch; Reuters editor-in-chief David Schlesinger; BBC global news director Richard Sambrook; and Satoshi Ishikawa, head of Japan’s Kyodo News agency.
Curley said he was pleased with Hu’s comments on backing the international media.
“I was delighted to hear some 15 months after the Olympics that the progress will continue,” he said. “Obviously, there are still some challenges and some issues, but his statement seemed quite sincere. That he joined us this morning was an important gesture as well.”
Schlesinger called on China to increase transparency and treat foreign journalists more fairly.
“Companies and government departments and government officials need to be ready to be open. … They need to take interviews and to reveal figures,” Schlesinger said. “Journalists working for foreign media are still too-often excluded or granted a lower level of access at key meetings.”
He urged China to tighten control around the release of official statistics, saying insiders with access to rumors about such statistics that circulate for several days before their official release enjoy unfair trading advantages.
Murdoch criticized China for having a “sheltered” media market and encouraged the government to allow more foreign media companies to operate in China.
“The more competition to provide Chinese individuals and institutions with financial news, the more informed their investment decisions will be,” Murdoch said. “China will ultimately decide its own fate, but unless the digital doors open, opportunities will be lost and potential will not be realized.”
Murdoch also called on China to do more to prevent piracy of media content, saying it has hurt emerging Chinese media companies’ profits.
Related News
China says Iran should cooperate with UN on secret nuclear facilitySeptember 25th, 2009 China urging Iran to cooperate on nuclear facilityPITTSBURGH — China is urging Iran to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency looking into a secret Iranian nuclear facility.
US takes UN podium to criticize rights abuses in Iran, Russia, ChinaSeptember 22nd, 2009 US criticizes rights abuses in Iran, Russia, ChinaGENEVA — The United States criticized Iran Tuesday for its crackdown on opposition groups, while chiding Russia and China for failing to protect human rights activists and minorities. The U.S., which was elected to the 47-nation U.N.
Clinton says US, China owe the world better cooperation on global hot spotsSeptember 10th, 2009 Clinton says US, China need to cooperate moreWASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says China and the United States bear a heavy responsibility to cooperate in solving the world's toughest problems. Clinton said Thursday at a dinner welcoming the head of China's Congress that the Obama administration considers building a strong relationship with China a central goal.
US okays hi-tech exports to ChinaJuly 30th, 2009 Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE
BEIJING - The US administration has decided to lift its restrictions on the export of hi-tech goods to China, a media report said Thursday. The China Daily quoted Vice-Premier Wang Qishan, who took part in the two-day China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue that ended in Washington Tuesday, as saying: "The US pledged to facilitate exports of high-technology products from the US to China."
Sino-US trade touched $333.7 billion last year in spite of the global financial crisis.
Obama: Human rights important to US-China ties, cites freedom of speech and religionJuly 27th, 2009 Obama: Human rights important to US-China tiesWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says the United States and China must cooperate across the range of issues but he knows the economic powerhouses will not agree on every issue. The American leader, in opening two days of critical talks with the Chinese, pointed in particular on Monday to differences on human rights.
Chinese state media say at least 4 dead, 53 missing in Sichuan landslideJuly 23rd, 2009 China media say 4 dead, 53 missing in landslideBEIJING — A landslide triggered by heavy rain hit a county in southwestern China's Sichuan province early Thursday, killing at least four people and leaving 53 others missing, state media said. The official Xinhua News Agency said the Ministry of Civil Affairs confirmed four people were killed and 53 others were missing in Kangding county, but gave no additional details.
Chinese state media says at least 53 people missing in landslide in Sichuan provinceJuly 23rd, 2009 China media says at least 53 missing in landslideBEIJING — Chinese state media says at least 53 people are missing after a landslide hit a county in Sichuan province in the country's southwest. The official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that the landslide was triggered by heavy rain in Kangding county.
UN chief urges extreme care in handling deadly protests in China, elsewhereJuly 6th, 2009 UN chief: Use extreme care handling China protestsGENEVA — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he is urging China and any country with violent protests to use extreme care toward citizens.
China to boost military ties with PakJune 26th, 2009 BEIJING - In a step further to embolden their military relationship, Chinese Defence Minister, Liang Guanglie met Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, here on Friday. Guanglie met Air Chief Marshal Suleman, who is currently on a visit to China, and vowed to further strengthen friendship between both countries.
Geithner, on trip to Beijing, says US wants to develop closing working relationship with ChinaMay 31st, 2009 Geithner says US wants closer ties with ChinaBEIJING — U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says he wants to develop the same kind of close working relationship with China that the U.S.
Pelosi talks Tibet with China's leadersMay 28th, 2009 BEIJING - US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a bipartisan CODEL met with China's President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, and Wu Bangguo, the chairman of the National People's Congress - and talked about North Korea and human rights abuses in Tibet. Pelosi, a longtime critic of China's record in Tibet, was greeted by pro-democracy protesters bearing a banner reading "Welcome Pelosi...
China announces first human rights action planApril 13th, 2009 BEIJING - China published Monday its first-ever action plan on human rights, pledging to further protect and improve the country's human rights conditions. The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), issued by the State Council, or Cabinet, highlighted various human rights goals that would be implemented in less than two years.
China publishes national human rights action planApril 13th, 2009 BEIJING - "China has a long road ahead in its efforts to improve its human rights situation," though unremitting efforts have been made to promote and safeguard human rights since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, which "fundamentally" changed the fate of the Chinese people. The country published its first working plan on human rights protection Monday, pledging to further protect and improve the country's human rights conditions in an all-round way.
China deserves more say in IMF, says BrownApril 2nd, 2009 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Thursday that China deserves the right to demand more say and representation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Brown told reporters after the G20 summit that China pledged to contribute $40 billion to the international financial institutions, while the European Union (EU) and Japan offered $100 billion respectively.
China says it is no threat to IndiaMarch 31st, 2009 BEIJING - China declared Tuesday that it desired mutually beneficial cooperation with India and it posed no threat to New Delhi. 'The leaders of China and India have already reached consensus that the two countries will not pose a threat to each other,' Xinhua quoted foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang as telling reporters here.
Loading ...