Advertisement
US condemns China over BBC World News ban
- State Department says Beijing maintains an oppressive media environment while using open systems elsewhere to push misinformation
- Decision will damage China’s reputation in the eyes of the world, British foreign secretary says
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
99+
The United States has condemned China for banning the broadcast of the BBC World News, saying China should allow the public full access to the internet and media.
The ban is the latest in a string of disputes between Beijing and overseas media, including the arrests of an Australian journalist and a news assistant for Bloomberg News in China, and the expulsion of journalists from several American outlets.
“We absolutely condemn [China’s] decision to ban BBC World News. [China] maintains one of the most controlled, most oppressive, least free information spaces in the world,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday.
“It’s troubling that as [China] restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijing’s leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation.”
China’s National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News was not allowed to continue its service “within Chinese territory” because it failed to meet the country’s broadcasting requirements and the regulatory body would not accept the channel’s broadcast application for the new year.
Advertisement