The BBC was criticized by Chinese officials and social media on Friday (February 5) in a growing diplomatic dispute, a day after Britain’s media regulator revoked the TV license from the Chinese state media agency CGTN .
On Thursday, February 4, Ofcom concluded that the ruling Communist Party of China had ultimate editorial responsibility for the channel, the English-language sister channel of the state broadcaster CCTV.
Minutes later, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing the BBC of spreading “false news” in its COVID-19 report, demanding an apology and saying that the broadcaster politicized the pandemic and “reformulated the theories on cover-up by China”.
BBC 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 victims of rape and torture.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the report had no factual basis.
The BBC said its reporting was fair and impartial.
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin criticized Ofcom’s decision as “politicizing the issue at a technical point” and warned that China reserves the right to provide a “necessary response” .
“China urges the UK to immediately cease these political tricks and correct its mistakes. China maintains the right to provide a necessary response to safeguard the legitimate rights of the Chinese media.”
China’s state-run media has increased attacks on the British public broadcaster in recent weeks.
Foreign Ministry criticisms of the BBC were among the main trends on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Friday.
BBC broadcasts, like those of most major Western news outlets, are blocked in China.
Some people have asked the BBC to be expelled in response to the revocation of the CGTN license.
Video transcription
– The “BBC” was attacked by Chinese and social media officials on Friday in a growing diplomatic dispute, a day after Britain’s media regulator revoked the TV license of the Chinese state-owned media “CGTN”. On Thursday, Ofcom concluded that the Communist Party of China had ultimate editorial responsibility for the channel, the English-language sister channel of the state broadcaster “CCTV”.
Minutes later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China issued a statement accusing the “BBC” of spreading false news in its COVID-19 report, apologizing and saying that the broadcaster politicized the pandemic and reformulated the theories about the cover-up by China.
The BBC’s coverage of Xinjiang was heavily criticized after it reported on Wednesday that women in internment camps for ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the region were victims of rape and torture. China’s Foreign Ministry said the report had no factual basis. The BBC said its reports were fair and impartial. On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin criticized Ofcom’s decision to politicize the issue on a technical point and warned that China reserves the right to provide a necessary response.
WANG WENBIN THROUGH THE INTERPRETOR: China urges the UK to immediately stop these political tricks and correct its mistakes. China maintains the right to provide a necessary response in order to safeguard the legitimate rights of the Chinese media.
– China’s state-run media has increased attacks on the British public broadcaster in recent weeks. Foreign Ministry criticisms of the “BBC” were among the main trends on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Friday. BBC broadcasts, like those of the main Western news outlets, are blocked in China. Some people called for the expulsion of the “BBC” in response to the revocation of the “CGTN” license.