US-China relations: People’s Daily defends decision not to run ‘factually inaccurate’ article by American ambassador
- ‘We have told the US embassy that the op-ed in the name of Ambassador [Terry] Branstad … is full of loopholes and seriously inconsistent with the facts,’ Communist Party mouthpiece says
- Statement comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says newspaper’s refusal to publish ‘once again exposes the Chinese Communist Party’s fear of free speech and serious intellectual debate’
Chinese state newspaper People’s Daily has defended its decision not to publish an article submitted last month by the US ambassador to China on the grounds it was “full of loopholes”.
The mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party issued a statement on Thursday after Washington accused Beijing of being hypocritical for refusing to run the piece, titled “Resetting the Relationship Based on Reciprocity”.
“We have told the US embassy that the op-ed in the name of Ambassador [Terry] Branstad we received this time is full of loopholes and seriously inconsistent with the facts,” the newspaper said, without specifying the alleged inaccuracies.
It said the US embassy, which wanted the article to be published on September 4, insisted the piece be “published as submitted” and not be revised by the newspaper’s editors.
“If the US wishes to publish in People’s Daily … substantial changes should be made,” it said.
