Chinese Protest Western Media Bias

This weekend, Chinese citizens living abroad protested against Western media-bias in cities around the globe. Yesterday’s global day of protest, organised by Chinese officials, saw emigrants gather in dozens of cities to condemn the media’s sympathy towards the Free-Tibet Movement and its negative portrayal of China. Protests were held in Paris, London, Berlin, Vienna, New York and many cities throughout China. Activists claimed that media outlets such as the BBC and CNN had presented only one side of the story in their coverage, and feared that biased reporting would stimulate ill-feeling and prejudice towards China.

The BBC’s failure to report these protests yesterday underlined the arguments of the demonstrators. Journalists at the BBC could hardly have missed the group of over 1,000 Chinese students gathered in front of the Beeb’s Manchester offices to voice their anger. While bosses did issue a statement denying their allegations and claiming that BBC coverage had been fair, there was no mention of these protests on the channel’s evening news programmes. As Chinese journalist Lee Siu Hin has pointed out, the network’s lack of coverage doesn’t bode well for it.

Altered Relays Stifle Protests but Also Olympic Spirit

The latest legs of the torch relay through Argentina, Tanzania, Oman, Pakistan and India faced few disruptions. The implementation of increased security presence and scaled down routes prevented further scuffles. In Islamabad, Pakistan, the torch never left a sports stadium. In Delhi, India, no exact times for the relay were given, roads were closed off, and office-workers were told not to look out their windows.

Western correspondents in these countries have described the atmosphere as “hostile”, claiming that the mutilated relays left no-one entirely satisfied and the Olympic spirit rather tarnished. Despite still facing criticism from the West, Chinese officials will be relieved that tensions have died down with just under half the international destinations of the relay remaining.

Nevertheless, the big Western media organisations are still taking a fervent interest in the matter. The likes of CNN and BBC have come under sharp criticism from Chinese audiences around the world for what they call biased reporting. A group of Chinese media watchdogs have even started Anti-CNN, a site on which inaccuracies in Western media reports are spotted and pointed out. Under increasing pressure, CNN has attempted to convey the Chinese perspective on the issue:

World Leaders Boycott Opening

Yesterday British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that he won’t be attending the opening ceremony of this summer’s Olympic Games. Downing Street insisted that Brown had never planned to come to the opening, and that he will be present at the closing ceremony as the leader of the next nation to host the Olympics. However, until yesterday, no clear statement had been issued. According to Chinese media reports, Brown’s presence had been expected by Chinese authorities. Political analysts such as the BBC’s Nick Robinson and Simon Carr of the Independent have criticised Brown harshly for his foreign affairs blunder on their blogs.

In late March German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the first leader to boycott the opening ceremony in protest of China’s treatment of Tibet. Merkel had previously enraged the Chinese leadership by receiving the Dalai Lama in Berlin for private talks. French President Sarkozy is also considering the possibility of a boycott and has called on Chinese authorities to reopen discussions with the Dalai Lama. In the US, Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has applauded Brown’s decision and encouraged President Bush to do the same. Bush has confirmed his participation at some stage of the event.

Reactions to London Protest

“I think it really shows to the Chinese people that you can’t fool the world. They have to be broad minded; they can’t just listen to their Chinese TV and then read the Chinese book…”

- Tashi, Tibetan protestor

“‘Free Tibet’ doesn’t mean ‘independent Tibet’. It’s a misconception for most people. When most Western people say ‘free Tibet’ they are simply blindly supporting…”

- Yi Bi, Chinese student and pro-China demonstrator

“My fellow torch bearers got attacked with a fire extinguisher, another one got hit with paint…”

- Lawrence Sinton, carried the torch near St. Paul’s Cathedral

*Reactions courtesy of Camilla Menezes*

Torch Sparks London Protests

London became the centre of heated protests yesterday as the Olympic flame passed through its snow-clad streets. Despite the chilly weather conditions thousands of activists lined the 31-mile route (see map), demonstrating against China’s human rights record and treatment of Tibet. According to the BBC, 35 were arrested as individual demonstrators repeatedly stormed the ring of policemen protecting the torch-bearer. One man even attempted to smother the Olympic flame with a fire extinguisher.

The resulting scenes – security forces wrestling activists, as masses of protestors waved flags and shouted slogans (see original footage) – weren’t far removed from a sporting event. But the political debate, increasingly difficult to extract from this summer’s games, was impossible to overlook. The link between sports and politics was highlighted further by Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision not to touch the torch despite greeting it outside 10 Downing Street – a diplomatic move aimed to appease both Tibetan supporters and Chinese officials in equal measures.

Meanwhile in Beijing, China’s state-controlled television networks opted not to show scenes of protest and demonstration. Instead reports focused on peaceful images of the Chinese ambassador handing the torch to a British runner. With another 20 countries left for the torch to travel through, the Chinese censors ought to have their work cut out for them in the coming months. Next stop: Paris, a city well acquainted with the concept of demonstrating and revolting.