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Although he did not provide any evidence of his remarks, which derailed a meeting that was supposed to focus on non-proliferation issues, he then accused China of "placing propaganda announcements in the Des Moines Register and other
"I think he is trying to maximize the pressure on the administration to change its trade policy towards China by trying to show the White House and the Republicans that they will pay a price in the medium term," he said. said David Skidmore, professor of political science at Drake University, told the Des Moines Register in a piece by the paper on the insert.
On Wednesday, Xi himself celebrated the "State media contributions to the cause of the Party and the people" and congratulated the TV workers for "promoting deep integration and innovation in international communication. to present a panoramic and multidimensional vision of China. "
Although there is no evidence that Xi is trying to influence the US elections, Trump is absolutely right in saying that Beijing uses its media to shape China's foreign opinions. What he left out, is that Washington does it with its own government-funded media. .
Tell the story of China
Unlike most other English-language state media, such as CCTV or the Global Times, China Daily is not the product of a national product, but has always targeted foreign readers.
Today, the group boasts a print run of about 800,000 copies, with the majority of readers located abroad. Blue paper vending machines are ubiquitous in Washington DC, parts of New York and other US cities, and are often distributed free to hotels and airlines around the world.
China Daily did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Daily Telegraph did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding its China Watch sections. A spokeswoman for the Washington Post said that this section was clearly not considered to imply "the Washington Post's press or editorial services," adding that the "China Watch" section differs in style, font, and width. of column. "
Of course, publishing something and having people read it are completely different things, as many media companies have learned to their regret. But regardless of its scope, China Daily clearly benefits from Beijing's support, by increasing the number of its staff abroad and by advertising, even as other newspapers are cutting costs and laying off jobs. employees.
Exit
Although China Daily has drawn Trump's attention, it is not the most important outlet for Beijing's national media strategy. This title belongs to the public channel CCTV and its international network CGTN. (CNN has an affiliation with CCTV.)
Like China Daily, the CGTN receives a large amount of state funding, which it used to grow massively. It now broadcasts in more than 180 countries and regions around the world and is building a new headquarters in London.
But, as in newspapers, broadcasting in a country does not necessarily mean that someone is watching.
This could be due to the content, while the CGTN is considerably relaxed from its very salty past, it does not have the kind of appeal of RT, and has not been so willing to welcome the type of conspiracy theorists who tends to do so well on YouTube.
War Warning
Whether its investment in China Daily or the CGTN is profitable or not, Beijing clearly sees the promotion of state media abroad, leveraging its effectiveness as a propaganda tool in its country.
Chinese hawks such as Marco Rubio, chairman of the Congress Executive Committee on China (CCCB), have long accused Beijing of using its influence around the world to stifle debate and promote its agenda.
In response to a question about the so-called US government's initiative, Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang stressed the importance of freedom of expression.
"The media serve as bridges and import links to improve communications and understanding among the peoples of different countries," said the minister at a press conference in Beijing, adding that countries " should see the role of the media in promoting international exchange and cooperation in an open and inclusive spirit. "
Battle of influence
While China's hypocrisy complaining of the restrictions imposed on the press is obvious, it is important to remember that, if US lawmakers complain about the foreign media's influence operations, Washington continues to lead many of his own.
From the end of the Second World War and during the Cold War, the US government has invested billions of dollars in Voice of America, Free Radio Europe / Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and related publications and broadcasters.
BBG's subsidiaries broadcast in more than 60 languages to an audience of approximately 278 million people each week and employ thousands of employees in 50 newsrooms around the world.
In its statement to Congress, the bureau said its coverage was "particularly strong" in areas where "global players that do not share US values are trying to make progress".
The two major broadcasters targeting China – FRG and VOA – are bound by their charters to be objective and are not subject to the same types of direct supervision exercised over Chinese state media, but this is not the case. do not prevent countries that they aim to see. them as malicious tools of American influence.
RFA notably produces excellent reports from local journalists – often at great risk – outside Tibet and Xinjiang, regions of China where most foreign journalists are locked out.
Since RFA and VOA began to target China, Beijing has heavily invested in jamming radio signals from the two US-funded TV channels, and the state-run media has denounced them as tools. of the CIA. Their websites and e-mail newsletters are also heavily blocked and censored.
In a particularly ironic article, the Global Times hailed cuts in VOA, which it described as a "government-sponsored US propaganda tool," even as it praised Chinese efforts to improve broadcasting. abroad. Maybe all the speakers need to look in the mirror.
