In the statement, China’s NRTA said that BBC World News had broadcast reports about China that “violated the principles of truthfulness and impartiality in journalism”.
On February 4, China’s Foreign Ministry presented a severe representation to the BBC criticizing the broadcaster for its coverage of China’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, dismissing its reports as “false news”.
“We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the most trusted international news broadcaster in the world and reports stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favor, “a BBC spokesman said in a statement to CNN Business.
Beijing has also repeatedly expressed its frustration with BBC reports on China’s “re-education” camps for Uighurs. The BBC claims that women were systematically raped, sexually abused and tortured in the camps. China accuses the BBC of having been “on a spree to spread explicit falsehoods about China’s policy in the Uighur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang”.
The BBC defended their journalism in a statement at the time, saying that they kept their reports accurate and fair about events in China.
It is unclear how much impact China’s BBC World News ban would have on the country. The BBC was never allowed to broadcast in mainland China or in Chinese homes. BBC World News was only available at international hotels.