When one compares the media coverage given to human rights violations in Gaza, Balochistan, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Myanmar and the other partly imagined and partly real issues of intolerance and minority rights in India with the horrors of Tibet and Xinjiang, one finds that some of the top-level global mainstream media houses enjoying immense credibility and holding a significant market-share refrain from reporting objectively and sufficiently on Tibet and Xinjiang. What could be the possible reasons? Is it ideological affinity, a genuine love for Beijing’s so-called People’s Republic or some “extraneous” factors? This essay takes a dive into the motivations, compulsions, and intentions of the China-sympathetic voices in some parts of the media.
In 2013, with the onset of China’s belt and road project, the phase of sitting by a fence and biding time was over, and Beijing unravelled its revisionist designs to challenge and upturn the liberal world order. Having realised that the dominant norms and values of liberal world order would raise questions on its credibility, especially in human rights and freedom of speech, the CCP leadership began a massive propaganda effort to control the narrative. Hence, with Xi’s 2016 call to tell China’s better story to the world began China’s unique and less known experiment to influence the global media and shape the discourse in its favour. Over the last five years, China has offered hundreds of fellowships to foreign journalists from India, Bangladesh, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Such fellowships include ten months of fully paid stay in Beijing’s posh diplomatic areas, free and guided tours to China’s provinces, a degree in international relations from a Chinese university, and most importantly, a handsome stipend (5,000 yuan). Also, they get invitations to the events of the National People’s Congress and access to senior Chinese officials for “choreographed” interviews. Read More…
