Freedom of Expression

The April 18 edition of the New York Times published an article discussing "Caijing Magazine," one of China's most liberal news publications and among the few that has avoided being shut down by the Chinese government. The article notes that Caijing has successfully avoided censure or closure by focusing on financial news, avoiding sensitive political topics, and, in the words of editor Hu Shuli,"We go up to the line -- we might even push it. But we never cross it." Like all news media in China, Caijing is not truly independent, and remains subject to government intimidation and influence. The New York Times cited Wang Boming, one of the people who helped obtain financing for the publication, as saying that people from the magazine had been "called in occasionally and had to perform a 'self-criticism.'" The article also points out that the Stock Exchange Executive Council, a state-owned entity loosely tied to the nation's stock market, owns the magazine.

Chinese news media reported April 18 that two reporters with Anhui Television were beaten and robbed of their photographic equipment while inside a Linquan county government compound. The report did not say whether or not the attackers were government employees, but simply stated that the reporters were attempting to leave the compound after having been refused an interview with a government official when "more than 10 people came rushing out of the county government compound, forced the reporters' hands behind their backs, and snatched their camera equipment." According to the report, the reporters went to the police, but a government official refused to return pictures containing official materials, and demanded that the reporters apologize.

The April 17 edition of the South China Morning Post reported that Chinese public security officers detained one of its journalists as she tried to report on rioting in Zhejiang. According to the report, Chinese police stopped the reporter's car as she was attempting to leave Huaxi, the site of the riots. The police forced her to return to Dongyang, detained her in a hotel, and questioned her about why she was in Huaxi and whether she had applied for permission to come to Dongyang. She was then forced to sign a letter confessing that she had violated Chinese reporting regulations that require non-mainland journalists to apply for permission to travel anywhere outside Beijing. Chinese officials then confiscated the reporter's notes and photographs.

The Nanjing municipal government is launching a campaign against banned newspapers attempting to restart publishing operations, according to an article from the Jiangnan Daily that was republished on the People's Daily Web site. According to the article, the central government has already explicitly ordered that newspapers that have been ordered to shut down may not restart in any form, and the Nanjing municipal government plans to step up their screening of books, newspapers and periodicals in 2005 to prevent any such attempts.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named Cheng Yizhong as the laureate of the 2005 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. According to UNESCO, the award was given to Cheng based on the recommendation of an independent jury of media professionals from all over the world:

Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat has refused to renew the contract under which New Tang Dynasty TV(NTDTV) broadcasts to China using Eutelsat satellites, according to a Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press release. RSF alleges that the Eutelsat decision was the result of "pressure from Beijing." At least one Chinese official has accused NTDTV of being "a propaganda tool" for the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, warning Chinese viewers to avoid watching NTDTV broadcasts. RSF has reported in the past about Chinese government attempts to interfere with NTDTV's broadcasts:

Jilin city in Jilin province has announced that a new city ordinance will take effect on April 1 regulating who can post news on the Internet. According to the Jiang Cheng Daily, which the Jilin municipal government sponsors, the Ordinance on the Supervision and Administration of Internet News is China’s first local regulation addressing Internet news publishing.

Ji Weimin, a researcher with the News and Broadcasting Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, discusses the relationship among "public opinion supervision," the government's control of the media, and journalists' ethics in a March 21 article. The article was originally published in the Study Times, a Communist Party School publication, and was subsequently carried on the Web site of the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper. Thus, the views expressed in the article can fairly be said to represent the views of the Chinese Communist Party.