MEDIA CONTROL IN CHINA 2004 .4, NO RIGHTS FORUM

BY HE QINGLIAN CHINA

Following are translated excerpts from a

have suffered persecution, and briefly enumerate some other 11 book-length report written by He Qinglian and cases I have come across in recent years. It should be noted, however, that because this type of pressure and persecution is published in Chinese by HRIC. Media Control

not made public, the evidence presented here is far from com- OPE in China describes how China’s much-lauded prehensive. economic modernization has allowed the gov- Generally speaking, the central government controls the media by means of political power and a series of top-down ernment to camouflage its pervasive control coercive policies. Local governments, lacking the supreme under the glossy façade of consumerism, power and authority of the central government, rely on a mul- tiplicity of control methods: on their own local media they can with a shift from ham-fisted censorship to an exert direct political control. In respect of reporters outside ALKING THE TIGHTR elaborate architecture of Party supervision, their jurisdiction, they exert control either directly through W amorphous legislation, stringent licensing violence or indirectly through what Chinese officialdom com- monly refers to as “saying hello”—exerting pressure on offi- mechanisms, handpicked personnel and con- cials from the reporters’ place of origin to bring the offending centrated media ownership. The following organs into line. two excerpts examine control through the Control is directed first of all at sources of information, in recognition of the fact that, in the words of the American intimidation of journalists and restrictions on media scholar Melvin Mencher,“News sources are a journal- media ownership. ist’s lifeblood.A journalist cannot do his job unless a news source tells him what happened.”The more direct the source of information, the stronger the guarantee that the news will PART 1: CHINESE JOURNALISTS IN FETTERS be timely and reliable.At the same time, a journalist needs to broaden the channels of information as much as possible.The The relationship between the Chinese news media and the essence of journalism is to collect information from all sources Chinese government is diametrically opposite of that between and then use a broad range of media, including newspapers, the media and the government in democratic societies. In television and radio, to disseminate news to the wider public. modern democracies, the media perform the function of a The government therefore uses its power to control news social watchdog. Government policy,the personal integrity of sources and to restrict ordinary people from providing infor- government officials and foreign relations are all objects of mation to Chinese media and especially to foreign media. critical debate by the media. In China, however, the govern- Apart from the application of various laws and regulations, ment exercises tight control over public opinion, has desig- local government officials impose more arbitrary forms of nated many areas off-limits for public discussion and has control in accordance with the spirit of central government imposed penalties to restrict journalists’ freedom of action. policy.Long years of suppression have bred in Chinese journal- According to an investigation published by the New York- ists a habit of “self-discipline,” and most Chinese journalists based Committee to Protect Journalists, between 1998 and resign themselves to playing the role of “Party mouthpieces” 2002 38 Chinese journalists were arrested on charges suggest- or seek to exploit their social influence for personal gain. ing a state frame-up, and 32 were incarcerated, the largest Journalists with a sense of social responsibility tend to s number anywhere in the world.While Chinese journalists live adopt a sort of camouflage: they assume that the central gov- peacefully on the surface, any exercise of social responsibility ernment leadership is wise and that the Chinese socialist sys- or professional conscience brings them under risk. tem is correct, and conclude that low-level corruption and its

In this section I describe the cases of a few journalists who disastrous consequences can be attributed to the individual Photo: Reuter

actions of a minority of officials.According to this line of Guangxi—dispatched reporters to cover the story ten days thought, by revealing the facts, journalists can help the top after the accident, local government officials slammed doors in leadership understand what is really going on so these prob- their faces and told them that nothing had happened.The lems can be dealt with effectively.While these journalists people in charge of the mine also flatly denied that an accident believe their self-protective approach will guarantee their per- had occurred. Collusion between Nandan mine management sonal safety,events have proven them naive.The examples cited and the local criminal underworld discouraged miners from below show that in reality the central and local governments coming into contact with journalists. are united in their views of how to deal with the news media. One journalist for the Bagui Dushibao, having tried unsuccess- When journalists are framed and attacked by local officials, as fully to gain access to the mining area, came across an over- happens all too often, and are courageously supported by other hanging cliff from which he planned to take photos of the local media, the central government maintains a shameful mine shaft, which was still leaking water. Suddenly two armed silence that amounts to tacit consent to and encouragement of men emerged from a thicket, and one of them shouted at the the local government’s unscrupulous behavior. journalist, “What are you doing here? Are you a reporter?”The other man said, “If he’s a reporter, let’s do him in and chuck Control at the source him over the cliff.” Scared to death, the journalist surrepti- Since the 1990s, China has witnessed a period of widespread tiously removed his press and ID cards from his pocket, threw graft and corruption accompanied by shocking events such as them off the cliff and told the men he was in Nandan visiting the Nandan coal mine accident in Guangxi, the Nanjing poi- relatives. Since the two men found no ID on him, they settled soning case and labor uprisings in Liaoyang, but these stories for simply chasing him from the mine area. have very rarely been reported by the Chinese media.Any report of an industrial accident that appears in the press repre- The central government’s failure to speak sents a hard battle by journalists to disclose it. It is difficult for non-journalists to appreciate the difficulties involved, not only out against violent interference with news in getting to the bottom of a story,but in battling the various reporting has only emboldened local gov- levels of the Chinese bureaucracy.When such reports finally ernment in its abuses. see light of day and compel the Chinese government to declare that it will “resolve the problem,” they bring no honor to the courageous journalists who fought for them, but more typi- Local people eventually guided other journalists to a partic- cally spell the end of the journalists’ careers, or even land them ular county that had been hardest hit by the disaster, where in prison. they photographed many miners’ families weeping, perform- Generally speaking, the Chinese government employs the ing funerary sacrifices and burning belongings left by the following methods to control the media: dead.The video footage was a breakthrough in the coverage of this story,but when the journalists showed it to local govern- Black eyes and blackouts ment officials, a number of them claimed it was faked, and Since the 1990s local leaders have demonstrated a growing flatly denied that there had been an accident. One deputy sec- tendency to instigate violent attacks against journalists in an retary of the Guangxi Autonomous Region even shouted abuse effort to bring newsgathering activities under “unified con- at a People’s Daily reporter and shut him out of a news conference trol.”While the people who carry out the actual obstruction of (literally,“unified control meeting”) concerning the accident.2 interviews and newsgathering activities are typically boozed- During the course of this accident and its aftermath, the up layabouts, local bullies and members of the criminal under- Chinese government gained considerable experience in con- world, they inevitably have local authorities behind them.The trolling the news media. From then on, whenever a similar central government’s failure to speak out against violent inter- accident occurred, journalists found it extremely difficult to ference with news reporting has only emboldened local gov- gain access to the scene to conduct interviews.The Jiangxi ernment in its abuses. Following a huge explosion at the provincial government’s actions following an explosion at a Liupanshui coalmine in Guizhou Province, no less than the fireworks factory in Huangmao Township,Wanzai County deputy provincial governor, Liu Changgui, ordered the arrest illustrate how officials were able to effectively impose a full of journalists and the forcible exposure of their film. In notori- news blackout. ous cases in Nandan, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, On December 30, 2001, with the Chinese public still dis- and in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, the people responsible for traught over the Nandan coal mine accident, a huge explosion interfering with journalist activities included local officials, shook Huangmao Township, turning several hundred meters public security officers and public prosecutors.1 around the fireworks factory into scorched earth.The blast flat- After the mining accident on July 17, 2001 that killed 81 tened buildings and shattered nearly every window within a people in Nandan, Guangxi, the Nandan municipal govern- radius of several kilometers. Even iron gates were warped by ment made every effort to impose a news blackout and the shockwave. It was a truly shocking sight. ordered physical assaults on anyone who spoke to a journalist. After the explosion, local government officials did their When Guangxi TV,the Nanguo Zaobao (South Morning Post) and utmost to impose a news blackout.The local public security the Bagui Dushibao (Bagui City Courier)—all three from bureau set up roadblocks at all main thoroughfares to prevent tions.The tions.The even thenational mediawere ofrestric- subjectedtoallsorts ofthen-PartyJianzhu was SecretaryJiangZemin, aclosefriend extent ofthenews blackout. but even moreaggrieved by the notonly by thedeath toll, Netizenswere did peopleintheprovince theawful learn news. read about andtelephonedhome theaccidentonInternet Only whenJiangxinatives overseas intheirprovince. occurred an explosionthat Chinaandtheworld hadshocked had were unaware that theprovincial capital, dents ofNanchang, reporters for the is typical: casedetailedbelowpers very rarely incidents.The such report but newspa- Violence against isusedallover journalists China, Gentle persuasion the number ofcasualtiesandthehandlingsituation.” observed withrespect toreportsfrom the sceneofaccidents, “Unifiednews management oughttobe ity.” Headded, duction safety.There must beunity for thesake ofsocialstabil- make abigfussabout orexaggerate accidentsaffecting pro- news shouldnot reports “Inprinciple, replied, conference, the agency’s whowas presiding over thenews deputydirector, beatenhad ordered for toinform thepublic, journalists trying nalists raisedthequestionoflocalgovernment officialswho held anews conference onproduction safety.When somejour- theChineseState tional community, Administration ofSafety eighteenth day afterthisaccidentthat theinterna- shocked Onthe anything positive about hadplayed. therole journalists Evena public thennosenior government apology. officialsaid Premier ZhuRongjiwas ultimately forced tomake chatrooms, after thefacts oftheaccidentwere widely circulated inInternet isamisapprehension.” the term ‘mishap’ “We “Theuseof Cannot stated, Accept this which ‘Mishap’,” Gongren Ribao that thiswas acaseof “statistics withChinesecharacteristics.” andjoked derisively believe that only twenty peoplehaddied, localpeoplefound itdifficultto power oftheexplosion, Given theawesome made nomentionofany missingpeople. recovery of20bodiesby theearly hoursofDecember31, official XinhuaNews incident.The whilereportingthe Agency, Local Jiangximediafailed asingleword toreport about the policeposted. local hospitalsadmittingcasualtieshadarmed and from approachingjournalists thesceneofaccident, rmn a ojrsito.O aur ,20,Beijing’s 2001, OnJanuary 7, hadnojurisdiction. ernment from Beijingnewspaperscriticism over theJiangxigov- which aliesobrazenthat itprovoked operator, fierce female machine causedby anegligent County explosionwas a “mishap” failed topublish asinglewordCounty, about thisaccident. tant role inexposingthetragedy at thetinmineinNandan eled togetherto follow uponcomplaintsfrom villagers of reporter for On June 1, 2002, Zhao Jingchao andLü ZhaoJingchao Tingchuan, 2002, On June1, Because Jiangxiprovincial Party CommitteeSecretaryMeng resi- With Jiangximediamakingnoreportoftheaccident, oenetofiil otne otl eieaele,but Government officialscontinued totelldeliberate lies, The JiangxiProvincial government claimedthat the Wanzai People’s Daily (Workers Daily) entitled published aneditorial Shandong Qingnian Jinan Shibao , which hadpreviously which played animpor- , JnnTms,adYn uhn,a and Fucheng, Yang (Jinan Times), Sadn ot) aaie trav- magazine, (Shandong Youth) 4 3 nying journalists.A CCTVfilmcameraworth 570,000 nying journalists.A andbeat upaccompa- IDsandchase to tearuptheinspectors’ ordered hissubordinates QianXiaoyan, manager ofthemall, general software mall)toconductastatutoryinspection.The went toXi’an’s Wild RoseComputerCity(acomputerand for QualityPromotion andtheXi’anOfficeofQualityControl their camcorders. came toblows withtheminbroad daylight andconfiscated but actually nalists from covering apublic sentencing, court notonly prevented jour- bureauCity public inFujian, security ber andDecember2000: betweenreports relating onjournalists similarattacks Septem- police released thejournalists. journalists dispatched by dispatched the journalists whenagroup of Itwas only aftermidnight, beaten onceagain. only tobeferociously policemen whohadassaultedhim, the Zhaoidentified thecourseofwhich during gation, ists were thentaken bureau tothepublic for security interro- three journal- official steppedforward tostoptheassault.The Notonepropaganda department onZhaoJingchao. injuries inflictingsevere head thethree journalists, beat andkick and adozenplainclothespolicemenburst inandproceeded to thetwo government officialslefttheoffice, mately 7:30p.m., approxi- interview notesandaudiotapes.At all theirfilmrolls, had beaten upthevillagers toforcesurrender thejournalists totake over. Zhang, surnamed mayor, theSidiantown where heinstructed tohisoffices, nalists back Ji onthesceneandtook thejour- arrived Weijian, department, director oftheNinyang CountyParty committeepropaganda thedeputy sirens theirway.At andbarred around 4:30p.m., police vehicles overtook themat highspeedwithhowling two from the journalists pute involving hisfactory. ently inretaliation for anews reportingamerger article dis- appar- (Shanxi Daily) andattacked twoWorkers’ journalists, should hurry back to Jinan.While they were still toJinan.While back should hurry andthat they officers weresecurity about tointerceptthem, magazine editortellingthemthat Ninyang Countypublic received thethree journalists aphonecallfrom the interviews, they werevillagers homeaftertheir driving tortured.While andofkeeping aprivate jailcellwhere hehad of corruption LiuFangzhu,lagers secretary, hadaccusedthelocalParty branch Vil- Ximeng village inNinyang ShandongProvince. County, than 20menintothereference room ofthe ledmore the ShanxiMedicalElectronic EquipmentFactory, the generalmanager inXi’an. hadpoliticalbacking broken toreports, andtwo inspectors were injured.According scious andhadtheir cellphonesandinterview notebooks were journalists beaten uncon- suburb ofGuangzhou.The information regarding aviolentclanincidentintheBaiyun iron clubsandwooden cudgelswhilethey were gathering September 28:A group comprised oftheChina group comprised Association September 28:A oftheNingde deputychief DengQiang, September 16: aboutA personconcerned thisissuecollectednewspaper Mayor Zhangordered thetown government work teamthat coe 6 Membersofavillage protection teamattacked October 16: coe 6 hn iyn,Party of committeesecretary Zhang Xiuying, October 16: Nanfang Dushibao Jinan Shibao 5 hwdu,that the showed up, (Nanfang Daily) with Shanxi Gongrenbao en route yuan several , was

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE 13 CHINA RIGHTS FORUM NO.1, 2004

snatched.Although a crowd of people witnessed the incident, In August 2002, the Lanzhou City Public Security Bureau no one reported it to the police. One of the assailants told the sent a letter to all news media in Lanzhou naming 16 journal- journalists, “How dare you reporters come here and nose ists who had published “inaccurate” reports about law around! We’ll kill you.” enforcement personnel breaking the law.These journalists, November 7: On the eve of China’s Journalists’ Day,as the who were consequently banned from future interviews with Chinese government proclaimed its commitment to protecting public security officers, expressed shock and indignation over the rights and interests of journalists, a huge fire broke out at a this blacklisting. Taiwanese-owned shoe factory in the outskirts of Guangzhou, Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend) reported on August 8, razing three warehouses covering an area of more than 1,000 2002 that on August 1 the managing editors of the Lanzhou square meters. When four journalists for Guangzhou’s Chenbao (Lanzhou Morning News) handed two of their journal- Yangcheng Wanbao (Yangcheng Evening News) went to the scene ists, Hao Dongbai and Liao Ming, an official letter entitled, of the accident to conduct interviews, they were threatened, “Regarding certain journalists’ inaccurate exposés of police pushed, chased and beaten by a mob at the instigation of fac- activities.” Reporters from five other publications that pub- tory management. lished such reports were also included on the blacklist. Nanfang Zhoumo journalists checked out each of these so-called “inaccu- One of the assailants told the journalists, rate” news reports and found every one of them to be factual. The allocation of journalistic oversight to the Public Secu- “How dare you reporters come here and rity Bureau (PSB) is probably unique to China.The special nose around! We’ll kill you.” privileges that the PSB enjoys in China is expressed by the wording in the letter issued by the Lanzhou City PSB.Their use November 9: On the day after Journalists’ Day,a journalist of the phrase “right makes might” suggests how such people for Nanning Wanbao (Nanning Evening News) who was involved have come to take for granted the special power and privileges in a traffic accident was assaulted by the other driver to prevent they enjoy. him from reporting the accident to the police and taking pic- tures of the scene. Damage control November 20:A collapse at the building site of a heating On August 24, 2001, the Web site of China News Service pub- plant in the southern outskirts of Jinan, Shandong Province, lished the following news item: “Unsold editions of Gongren killed four workers and injured one.When journalists for Ribao (Workers’ Daily) in Lushi County,Henan Province, are Shenghuo Ribao (Life Daily) and Qilu Wanbao (Qilu Evening News) reported to have been confiscated for running articles revealing went to the scene, they were insulted, surrounded and beaten that the county Party secretary was pursuing redundant and up by plant security staff. One of the journalists suffered a extravagant projects.”8 cerebral concussion and had his camera equipment destroyed. On August 10, the weekend edition of Gongren Ribao had November 22:When the singer Mao Ning was stabbed, two published a long lead story entitled, “Factual Report of how journalists for the Beijing Qingnianbao (Beijing Youth Daily) Du Baogan, Party Secretary of Lushi, a Poor County in Henan rushed to Zhaoyang Hospital to interview her, but were Province,Vigorously Pursues Redundant and Extravagant Pro- blocked and beaten by people at her bedside.Their cameras jects.” Following the publication of this article, people in the were stolen and their film exposed.This incident was followed mountain areas and towns of Lushi County were seething with with interest by the national media. excitement, spreading the news and falling over each other in December 4: Six journalists for Shaanxi’s Huashangbao (Chi- eagerness to buy copies of the paper. nese Business View) who were covering the Tianlong coal That day,the Gongren Ribao spread like wild fire across Lushi mine explosion in Hejin, Shanxi Province, were attacked with County.Within a few days, some 10,000 copies of the Gongren bricks and cudgels by goons working for the mine.Two of Ribao had been sold or photocopied by local people. But on them went missing.6 August 15, the deputy head of the propaganda department of Sanmenxia City,Henan Province, made a long-distance phone The Blacklist call to the head of the Lushi County post office, instructing Some local officials attempt to legitimize their refusal to sub- him to confiscate the weekend edition of the Gongren Ribao,as mit to public scrutiny by issuing their own regulations restrict- well as the Fazhi Wencuibao (Legal Miscellany) newspaper and Jin- ing media activities. For example, at the end of 2001, the jian (Golden Sword) magazine, which had reprinted the Dunhuang City government in Gansu Province issued an offending article. “Opinion on strengthening the supervision of correspondents’ What exactly had the newspapers published? Why did the offices in Dunhuang and journalists conducting interviews in government take the trouble to fight back by impounding Dunhuang.”This “opinion” specifically stipulates: “Critical newspapers? The focus of the newspaper story was how Du reports that involve the leadership of this municipality and Baogan, Party secretary of one of the most impoverished coun- cadres ranked assistant section chief and above must be sub- ties in the nation, wasted public resources in egregious extrav- mitted to the local propaganda department for approval, and agance and corruption and, more to the point for this must also be transmitted to the persons concerned and the rel- discussion, frequently had his critics thrown in jail on false evant leaders.”7 charges. But the real story is how Du’s intolerance of criticism

hn rt,“eadn hn’ orp uiilsse,with “RegardingChina’s judicialsystem, corrupt Zhang wrote, oftheappealthe receipt acknowledging service judgment, On totwoZhang hadtoserveinprison years andsixmonths. but reduced thetime sentence, upheldtheoriginal Court theSanmenxiaIntermediate 2001, property.” 30, OnMarch charge of “misappropriation ofspecially designated fundsand Zhangalesson. to teach Photo: Reuters he didn’t away find tokeep Zhangundercontrol. threatened themanager ofZhang’s company withdismissalif he Dufound outwhat Zhangwas doing, projects.When to thenews mediacomplainingabout DuBaogan’s wasteful hadrepeatedly companynal materials written inLushiCounty, media anditsmuzzling ofpublic opinion. was ofapiecewiththegovernment’s control ofthenews and a journalist forand ajournalist the jointly was by written ZhangChongbo the commonpeople, advocating LushiCounty.”The justiceforTownships, article, Again? The BoominDuguanandXiaoji Wild Construction Down Only tobeBuilt Again andBuiltOnly tobePulledDown “How CanHousesbePulled published entitled, anarticle eeec”editionofthe reference” was published which inthe “internal Buildings,” Multi-story PullingDown HousesandReplacing Township: Them with “Snubbing Public OpinioninDuguan entitled, another article On August 6, 1999, Zhang Chongbo was arrested ona ZhangChongbowas arrested 1999, On August 6, nJl ,19,the 1999, On July 7, aworker at aChinesemedici- ZhangChongbo, Since 1997, Dahebao Dahebao Dahebao Zhangsubsequently wrote . (Great River News) inLanzhou Atrta,DuBaogandecided that, .After lished inNanjing’s Zhaizi Village ofDuBaoganpub- critical articles distributed was atargetauthorities for Du’s LanCinaifrom attacks.When County’s problems totheattention ofthemediaorhigher Everyone whobrought Lushi Baogan hadthrown injail. will never submit.” I letusfervently assert: its peddlingofinfluenceandjustice, sotdbc oLsiCut,Zhangwas thrown to LushiCounty, inthe back escorted beingforciblygone tothecapital tosetoffabomb.After whohad accusing Zhangofbeinga “Falungong element” themtodeceiveby theBeijingpoliceauthorities instructing Zhang, officerstoBeijingarrest publicdispatched security Du Inmid-June2001, sion for DisciplineInspectioninBeijing. complaintagainstwritten DuwiththeCPCCentralCommis- Party ofXiangziping Secretary Village,Wenyu lodgeda County, ment ifthey pledgedtotake thematter nofurther. wereThose arrested only spared thehumiliations ofimprison- andothercharges. accusations of theelections” “disrupting wasvillage enoughtobejailedon committeeelections.This othershadspoken upduring faction withtheirvillage cadres; Someofthemhadexpressed dissatis- more than400people. campaigntoarrest Bureau’sPublic Security “Fight Crime” Lanwas sentencedto37days injail. For this, lainous citizens.” “Villainous officialsbreed vil- Lanreplied, him asa “villain.” hn hnb a o h ny“ioein”personDu Zhang Chongbowas nottheonly “disobedient” nodrt u tpt uBoa,Zhang the Wenxiu, In ordertoputastopDuBaogan, DuBaogantookadvantage ofthe of1999, In thespring Zhoumo (Weekend) Dudenounced magazine,

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county detention center on May 20, 2002. But what Du Bao- Zhao Shilong, the Yangcheng Wanbao journalist in faraway gan did not count on was that Zhang had already provided the Guangzhou, was beyond the reach of the Shaanxi provincial Central Commission for Discipline Inspection with irrefutable Party committee and the provincial government, which were evidence showing that Du had sought and taken bribes.The only able to butcher their own flocks.The Public Security Commission immediately instructed the relevant departments Bureau’s Law and Order Department, which under current to investigate and prosecute, and on June 4 Du was arrested on propaganda regulations in fact has no jurisdiction over news- criminal charges. gathering activities, twice summoned local journalists Du It was this report about Du Baogan, a little more than two Guangli and Wang Wu for interrogation, demanding, “Who months after his arrest, that brought down the wrath of offi- supplied the leads for conducting interviews? How did you cialdom on Gongren Ribao, ostensibly because of the “[bad] meet Zhao Shilong? How does he gather news and conduct image it projects of the Party and the government.”9 interviews under cover?”The Shaanxi provincial government was actually,as the Chinese saying goes, killing a chicken to Declaring “state secrets” frighten the monkeys—punishing “insubordinate” journalists The international community first became aware of the spread as a warning to others. of AIDS in China when it was revealed that Chinese peasants from Henan Province had become infected after selling their Even when accused of violating non- blood. Because this story was brought to light by Gao Lujie and other physicians of international renown, the Chinese govern- existent laws, defendants often have no ment could only temporarily treat Gao as “target of internal way of proving their innocence. control.” But AIDS had already spread beyond Henan Province, and journalists who reported on a serious outbreak in the The Shaanxi provincial government lost no time in having Shangzhou district of Shaanxi Province were investigated and its decision implemented at the lower levels.The deputy direc- prosecuted. tor of the Sanqin Dushibao’s features section was dismissed from In the spring of 2000, five peasants from Shangzhou who his post and two journalists were fired from the paper on accu- had been suffering from a “strange illness” resistant to pro- sations of “revealing state secrets and violating the State Secrets longed treatment arrived in Xi’an.Tests revealed that they had Law concerning unauthorized publication of information on contracted AIDS. One of the peasants, a man named Zhao serious epidemics.”As an internal regulation of the CCP Min- Yue’ai, died that year while waiting for a blood transfusion. istry of Propaganda stipulates that such people may no longer By the end of the Spring Festival, several hundred people work on the “cultural frontline,” this put an end to the journal- were already found to be AIDS-infected.The results of spot tests ists’ careers.10 were shocking: the rate of infection was four percent, far Having carefully read the State Secrets Law (its full title is exceeding that of some African countries.Alarmed by the seri- Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of ousness of the situation, the Shaanxi provincial government State Secrets) upon which the local officials based the penalties issued orders that no further random checks be conducted on they imposed, I have found that none of its seven articles stipu- tens of thousands of potential victims. lates AIDS as falling within the scope of a state secret.This Zhao Shilong, a journalist for Yangcheng Wanbao (Yangcheng makes clear that the Chinese government applies laws accord- Evening News) in Guangzhou, and several journalists for Shanxi ing to its own capricious whims. Even when accused of violat- Ribao (Shaanxi Daily) and Sanqin Dushibao (Sanqin Daily), decided ing non-existent laws, defendants often have no way of to provide society with a true picture of the AIDS situation. proving their innocence under the system of justice as cur- Filled with a sense of mission, the journalists traveled across rently administered in China.The leveling of trumped-up seven mountainous counties in Shangluo district, where under charges against a few socially responsible journalists who sur- difficult conditions they managed to interview several AIDS mounted overwhelming difficulties to independently investi- patients every day. gate and report the government’s culpability in the spread of In March 2001, the Guangzhou media reported the results AIDS is a testimony to the sorry state of present-day China. of investigations on the spread of AIDS in Shangluo Prefecture. Even so, the journalists discussed above got off lightly com- When Premier Zhu Rongji read these reports, he immediately pared to some of their colleagues, whose cases I describe below. wrote an official response, causing an earthquake in Shangluo government circles. The Iron Heel The victims of this earthquake, however, were not the Shaanxi government officials who deceived their superiors and Case 1: The death of Feng Zhaoxia defrauded their subordinates.The great majority of Chinese On January 15, 2002, Feng Zhaoxia, a 48-year-old editor and local government officials had long before recognized that Zhu journalist for the Xi’an-based newspaper Gejie Dabao, died under Rongji’s days in politics were numbered, and for quite some mysterious circumstances.The police concluded that Feng time Zhu’s instructions and official comments had gone no committed suicide, but his family and friends raised many further than the paper on which they were written.These local questions and expressed suspicion that he had been murdered officials managed to divert official wrath to the journalists who in retaliation by the mafia.The local public security bureau had brought the administrative negligence to public knowledge. failed to pursue the matter, hastily ruling that it was a case of eeto etr but becausethere were grounds noformal detention center, they toShanxi thatwhich very secretednight. him back by hisbeltandpiledhimintoataxi, unbuckled behind hisback, hisaccompliceshad already tiedGao’s hands finished talking, Before theman “Are you GaoQinrong? Pleaseaccompany us!” oneofwhomsaid, by hewas surrounded agroup ofmen, dark, hewas walking totherestaurant inthe restaurant.As certain phone callfrom anacquaintanceaskinghimtomeetat a GaoQinrong received a the All-China Journalists’Association, again totheCentralCommissionfor DisciplineInspectionand transferred to Xi’an notables. exposing shady involving dealsandscandalousstories ten includingoneparticularly controversial story Feng Zhaoxi, Many were ofthearticles by written Xi’an anditsenvirons. andorganizedin crime ofcorruption ous exposéscritical hadinrecent years created quiteastirwithnumer- influence, a circulation ofalmost100,000andexerted considerable local People’s Consultative Conference ofShaanxiProvince claimed nal reference editionofthe intheinter- Gaowrote anarticle sense ofsocialresponsibility, intended toputfeathers inthecaps oflocalleaders. andfraudulentwaste ofmoney andmanpowera corrupt Daily) and Zhongguo Qingnianbao (Investigative News) and including Numerous mediaoutletsimmediately upthestory, picked gation Project Scamin ShanxiProvince.”Yuncheng District, “HugeSums published Gao’sWasted entitled, article onanIrri- for Originallyajournalist the Chinese Communist Party. was amemberofthe 1955, onJanuary born 19, Gao Qinrong, Case 2: The jailingofGaoQinrong thing fishy about thecase. attitude madepeopleeven morethat certain there was some- investigation.This bizarre further suicide that didnotwarrant Huabao Qingshaonianbao carried outonhimself.carried againsthead ofXuezhangDistrict localpeasantswould soonbe Gaonever expectedthat threats issuedby the project. irrigation behindthe Commission for DisciplineInspectionthetruth ect, which hadcostastaggering 280million which ect, proj- irrigation Gaofound that the “model” year-long probe, ect were a fullofcontradictionsandbegantoinvestigate.After Gaonoticedthat thefigures for theproj- project, the irrigation asanelaboratedistrict scam. project in charges afterexposingamajorirrigation Yuncheng ontrumped-up Gaowas imprisoned InMayAgency. 1998, zine published by theShanxibureau oftheXinhuaNews Back in Back Gao’sYuncheng, captors tookhimtotheXiaCounty On the evening of December 4, 1998, as he was writing once ashewas writing 1998, On theevening ofDecember 4, Gejie Dabao Filled with righteous indignation anddrivenbyFilled withrighteous astrong On May 27, 1998, the restricted editionofthe therestricted 1998, On May 27, Following uponcomplaintsfrom localpeasantsregarding DmcayadLwIlsrtd,CCTV’s (Democracy andLaw Illustrated), Nanfang Zhoubao Zhonghua Xinwenbao , which underthemanagerial control which ofthe , Jizhe Guancha (Shanxi Gaowas later temporarily Youth Daily), CiaYuh Daily), (China Youth (Southern Weekend),(Southern Jiaodian Fangtan TeJunls bevr,amaga- (The Journalist Observer), People’s Daily (China News). and toldtheCentral (Focus Interview), Nongmin Ribao yuan Minzhu yuFazhi Xinwen Diaocha was infact , People’s Daily (Farmers Shanxi Court tried him tried Court andthe Yuncheng 1999, CityPeople’sindicted Gaoon 4, April mally arrested.The Yuncheng CityPeople’s Prosecutor’s Office Gaowas for- 1998, onDecember26, Nevertheless, held water. but noneofthesecharges about andswindling thepeople,” andthenextof “swaggering of andracketeering” “extortion onemomentGaowas accused over that followed; theperiod Gao’s abductors continuedtheiraccusations tochange bring, moved Countydetentioncenterinstead. ontotheRuicheng andhiscaptors the detentioncenterrefused toaccepthim, for detentionandproper procedures hadnotbeenfollowed, rushed totheofficesof rushed lodge complaints. readers couldcalltoaskquestionsand which Commission, telephone number oftheJiangxiProvince Rural Areas Work andinsidethefront cover was the taxburdens, ing farmers’ Jiang ZeminandState CouncilPremier Zhu Rongjionreduc- point ofphysical confrontations. tions hadstrainedrelations between cadres andfarmers tothe wanton government exac- Insomelocalities, taxes onfarmers. that grassroots cadres continued tolevy fees and unauthorized the JiangxiProvince Rural Areas Work Commissionrevealed by inquiries Nevertheless, lighten thepeasantry’s taxburden. tives localgovernments sincethemid-1990sordering to and theCCPgovernment have issuednumerous direc- reality theChinesegovernment hasbeenforced toconfront, min FudanGongzuoShouce making foreigners understand. and that allChinesepeoplecanunderstandbut have noway of ofjusticethatmiscarriage foreigners cannever understand, isa couldendup being labeled a book” “reactionary ernment, his sentence in Jinzhong penitentiary inShanxiProvince.his sentenceinJinzhongpenitentiary Heiscurrently serving procurement ofprostitutes andfraud.” twelve onfabricated years inprison chargesof “taking bribes, GaoQinrong was sentencedto 1999, OnMayual privacy. 4, between result was the cadres andthepeople.The with theirown anddutiesultimately rights reduce conflict ideawas tofamiliarizefarmers this issueintoamanual.The ments anddocumentspublished by thecentralgovernment on cameupwiththeideaofcompilingallprevious state- sion, magazine published by theJiangxiRural Areas Work Commis- How the Case 3:Recallofa book” “reactionary a ratoayvlm”produced by theFalungong.was a volume” “reactionary claimed that it ontheotherhand, Some cadres, were arbitrary. taxes andfees which wereand indetermining legalandwhich legal substantiation for theirclaimsagainst sub-county cadres, farmers usedthiscompilation ofgovernment documents as 2000.The some 12,000soldbetween July 29and August 11, on ReducingFarmers’Tax Burdens cun Fazhan Luncong Having detainedGaobefore decidingwhat chargesto Even farmers before themanual was available inbookstores, The titlepage ofthemanual quotedCCPGeneralSecretary deputyeditorof GuiXiaoqi, In lightofthissituation, The heavy taxburden shouldered by China’s farmers isa Work ManualonReducingFarmers’Tax Burdens in camera Cmetre o ua eeomn) a for RuralDevelopment), (Commentaries ,amanual compiledby thecentralgov- ), Nongcun Fazhan Luncong ostensibly intheinterest ofindivid- , published by 11 Nongcun Fazhan Luncong. obycpe,with to buycopies, ( Jianqing Nong- Work Manual 12 Nong-

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE 17 CHINA RIGHTS FORUM NO.1, 2004

Although publicizing official Central Committee policies the central government and the top government leaders did and published with the approval of the provincial Press and not know what had happened. But even after Gui Xiaoqi per- Publishing Bureau, the manual met with unexpected misfor- sonally wrote a complaint to the Ministry of Agriculture in Bei- tune.While the editors of Nongcun Fazhan Luncong were still cele- jing, no one expressed any criticism of the Jiangxi Provincial brating their success in helping the farmers, they received an government.This experience was a bitter disappointment to order from higher authorities on August 21, 2000 to stop sell- Gui, who was only trying to act in the interests of the Party. ing the Work Manual and to confiscate copies that had already When I interviewed him, he said that his only consolation was been sold. that he was more fortunate than Gao Qinrong. Within six months, 11,000 of the 12,000 sold copies were confiscated and sent to Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi, where Case 4: Jiang Weiping, jailed for subversion they were stored in a warehouse.A schoolteacher who photo- Liaoning Province has always been a region plagued by high copied the manual and distributed it to farmers was arrested levels of graft and corruption, but the people of the province on charges of “distributing a reactionary book.” dare not openly voice their indignation. From 1998 onward, Gui Xiaoqi was initially suspended from his post and put Jiang Weiping, bureau chief of the Northeast China office of under investigation, but the leaders of Jiangxi provincial Party the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po, wrote a series of articles committee disagreed over how to deal with him.The majority under a pseudonym exposing the corruption of the top leader- of Party committee members wanted him to be severely pun- ship in Liaoning Province. ished, but the top provincial leadership did not want to take In an article entitled “The Citizens of Dalian Cry to Heaven responsibility and hesitated for a while. In the end, they agreed Under the Autocratic Rule of Bo Xilai,” Jiang revealed that Bo to have him arrested and to decide what crime to charge him Xilai, the son of CCP veteran Bo Yibo and a rising star among with later on.When Gui learned of the decision, he made a run the “Princelings” (a group composed of children and relatives for it, managing to escape only two hours before he was to be of the ruling elite), had played a leading role in a series of cor- arrested. Jiangxi officials ordered that if Gui Xiaoqi returned to ruption and sex scandals. In an article entitled “Deputy Mayor Jiangxi, he was to be thrown in jail.To date, Gui is still on the of Shenyang Gambles Away 40 Million Yuan in Macau,” Jiang lam.13 revealed that Shenyang deputy mayor Ma Xiandong had been After the details of this case were reported in the influential gambling away public money abroad. Jiang also exposed a Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend), no one could claim that scandal involving Qian Dihua, mayor of Daqing, who used public funds to buy apartments for each of his 29 mistresses. Because such news cannot be published in mainland China, Jiang Weiping published his articles in various Hong Kong- based political magazines, such as Front-Line, which are consid- ered “anti-communist” by the CCP. Although Jiang Weiping used a pseudonym, identifying him presented no difficulty for China’s security services, whose intelligence-gathering capabilities are becoming stronger by the day.Under pressure from the Ministry of State Security, Wen Wei Po moved its Northeast China bureau from Dalian to Shenyang at the end of 1999, forcing Jiang to resign rather than uproot his Dalian-based family.In December 2000, Jiang was secretly arrested by the Dalian City Public Security Bureau.After more than a year, at 2 p.m. on January 25, 2002, Jiang was tried by the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court in “open” proceedings before 50 spectators hand-picked by the authorities. Many people had no understanding of the details of the case, and Jiang’s family members were not allowed to attend the proceedings. Jiang Weiping was charged with “revealing state secrets to foreign nationals” and “incitement to subvert State power,” for which he was given a combined prison sentence of eight years, with subsequent deprivation of political rights for five years.

Case 5: The arrest of Ma Hailin The enrichment of the children of senior cadres by exploit- ing their parents’ influence in business deals is a matter of Reporting disasters can be dangerous in more ways than one. Photo: AP common knowledge in China. However, Chinese news Wide World Photos organizations have avoided reporting on these shady deal- vnhre hnddigbles Journalists whosacrifice even harderthandodging bullets. and guardingagainst ofdangercanbe thissort China’s rulers, are none otherthan Chinesejournalists people whoharm dangerintheirownnalists court inpeacetime.The country Chinesejour- assignments are usually inwar-torn countries, national security.endangering incitementtosubvert state power or revealing state secrets, oneofthefollowing chargesmust befiled: failing that, ferred; are pre- graftandcorruption) fraud, as visitingprostitutes, nal convictions offenders that intosocialdisrepute bring (such crimi- questions by non-politicalmeans.”Whenever possible, “Handlepolitical tive JiangZeminissuedinShanghai1994: accordingtoasecret direc-tions ofideologyandfree speech involving ques- the CCPhasdealtwith ofconscience” “crimes Sincethe1990s, control. long traditionofthoughtandspeech them. real causesofsocialinstability are notthemediathat report and unity,” they demonstrate theirfailure torecognize that the “developing public tosocialstability scrutiny isdetrimental government at alllevels departments facts.When insistthat andnewsjournalists mediathat have thecourage toreportthe whilebusily jailingandeliminating pability oflocalofficials, years theChinesegovernment hasfailed todealwiththecul- peted toreportthestory. andforeign mediacom- of theChinesegovernment, echelons courage thefacts. toreport whohaveeliminating journalists the whilebusily culpability oflocalofficials, The government hasfailed todealwiththe quite astonishingwhen Itwas therefore tothoseinvolvedendless grief intheexposé. sinceitwould accomplishlittleapart from bringing ings, erable wealth. how Premier former LiPeng’s family hadacquired itsconsid- detailing Inc.,” HuanengPowerMysterious International, ket Weekly) “The published by anarticle MaHailinentitled, that Ma’s wife hadactuallythearticle. written unanimous accordwiththeCentralCommitteeandclaiming and theunitcommanderwrote alettertoLiPeng voicing People’s by was putunderhousearrest his unit, Police, Armed whowas alsoacadre withthe MaHailin, criticisms.Author of CCPveteran hadtomake several self- Wang Bingnan, magazine’s son nal article.The editor-in-chief,Wang Boming, oftheParty’spart efforts toobliterate every traceoftheorigi- thisnew issuewas Bizarrely, alsoconfiscated as Ma’s article. apologizing for December 1issuepublished a “correction” andthemagazine’salready were beendistributed impounded, copiesthat had Communist Party CentralCommittee.All diately censured by thePropaganda ofthe Department Unlike inthe journalists whosemostdangerous West, theChinese Communist Party hasa As everyone knows, The casespresented above amply illustrate that inrecent immediately wavesThe article sentshock through thetop 14 15 Zhengquan ShichangZhoukan Zhengquan ShichangZhoukan (Stock Mar- (Stock was imme- journalists in a country where human rights are whereignored. inacountry humanrights journalists istheinevitablethem from vindicating themselves.This fate of might ofthestate tosmeartheirreputations andtoprevent astheChinesegovernment deploys thefull social recognition, don’tthemselves totellthetruth even enjoy theconsolation of in February 2002entitled “On Strengthening theManagement diplomats andmajorforeign directive news issued agencies.A foreign and residential compound for foreign embassies, theoffice Many regulations focus such onChaoyang District, even govern more detailedrules theiractualimplementation. control oftheChinese government.ists tothesupervisory 5effectively subjectsforeignsupplier ofnews.Article journal- but isalsothe solelegally sanctioned activities, journalists’ makes itclearthat theChinesegovernment notonly controls 4 ists tothosecontrolled by theChinese government.Article sonnel Service Bureau. sonnel Service thesematters through theBeijingForeignarrange Affairs Per- personnel ortoleasebuildings for officepremises must Beijing proposing toemploy Chinese citizensasstafforservice newsworthy. and may itemsconsidered recommend tobe tojournalists foreign journalists sightseeingandnews purposes gathering Office may periodicallyorganizewithinBeijingfor for- trips MunicipalPeople’sto attend.The Government Foreign Affairs meetings andpress conferences and invite foreign journalists andcountiesmayious districts press-release holdperiodic ordinate andthepeople’s departments governments ofthevar- ment Foreign Affairs Office. obtain approval from theBeijingMunicipalPeople’s Govern- Beijing municipal leadersshallberequired firsttoapply toand news agencies established inBeijingproposing tointerview Permanent OfficesofForeign News Agencies’”: tation ofthe Foreign‘Regulations Concerning Journalists and fromarticles “Measures ofBeijingMunicipalityfor Implemen- Following are afew implementation ofthe1990regulations. ment hasenactedmore detailedregulations governing the theBeijingmunicipal govern- ing onBeijingandShanghai, to bearonpeopleinterviewed by foreign journalists. withpressure brought news mediaistocontrol news sources, mainmethodemployed activities.The to restrain foreignering news gath- in 1990toresume control over foreign journalists’ Journalists andPermanent OfficesofForeign News Agencies” Council promulgated the Foreign“Regulations Concerning theChineseState world by foreign andHongKong journalists, After the1989 Tiananmen Massacre was madeknown tothe nalists alsosaw someexpansionintheirroom for maneuver. andforeign jour- amountofbreathinggained acertain room, longrigidlycontrolled, Chinesemedia, Chinese politics.The relaxation ofatemporary The mid-1980smarked in aperiod Containing foreignjournalists h bv-ie euain sals e fpicpe,but The above-cited regulations establish asetofprinciples, 3effectivelyArticle allactivitiesofforeign restricts journal- ril :Foreign andnews journalists agencies resident in 5: Article Municipal People’s 4:The Article Government and its sub- Foreign resident inBeijingandforeign journalists 3: Article Because mostforeign tendtofocus journalists theirreport- 16

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of Interviews by Foreign Journalists,” stipulates that no work Joan Maltese, who worked for CCTV-9, China Central Tele- unit or individual may organize interviews for foreign journal- vision’s English-language news channel, wrote an article enti- ists or receive them without authorization; that foreign jour- tled “How China’s Propaganda Machine Works” after being nalists’ requests for conducting social surveys or opinion polls fired.19 Similarly,David Lore, a “foreign expert” based in be tactfully refused; that propaganda materials and printed Shanghai, recounted his personal experience in an article enti- matter sent to foreign journalists be checked by the depart- tled “The Perils of Speaking out in China.”20 ments in charge of receiving the journalists, and that if such Under these circumstances, unless they have many years of materials are found to contain anything illegal they must not experience working in China, foreign journalists have almost be sent to the foreign journalists and must immediately be no way of carrying out thorough investigations of China’s reported to the relevant foreign affairs, public security and society,politics and economy. security departments. The directive also requires that foreign journalists be pre- Tombstones vented from conducting illegal interviews in sensitive areas By the beginning of the 1990s, the Chinese media began expe- and about sensitive issues, including contact with practitioners riencing two parallel trends. On the one hand, media organiza- of Falungong, democracy activists and their private residences; tions gradually lost financial backing from the government, access to the courts and places of religious worship; and forcing some into the red. On the other hand, official controls reporting related to ethnic minorities, religion, human rights tightly restricted the supply of news sources, leading to fierce and family planning.Work units that discover illegal newsgath- competition.The media described this situation as, “tying our ering activities must put an immediate stop to them and report hands and feet, and then putting us out to sea.” In their strug- them to the Public Security and Foreign Affairs bureaus. gle for survival, many media organizations had no alternative Authorities may also confiscate journalists’ notes, audio equip- but to test the limits with subjects that would attract readers ment and cameras to prevent effective spot reporting. without provoking censorship. Even so, there were frequent reports of newspapers, magazines and publishing houses being The directive requires that foreign journal- closed down. In 1989, the following magazines stopped publication: ists be prevented from conducting inter- Shijie Jingji Daobao (World Economic Herald), Hainan Shiji views about sensitive issues. (Hainan Report ), Shulin (Treasury of Books), Xin Guancha (New Observer), Dongfang Jishi (Eastern Record), Zouxiang Weilai (Toward The directive stipulates that if an incident suddenly occurs the Future); Guoqing Yanjiu (Contemporary Chinese Studies) and within a work unit, foreign journalists must be denied entry in Zhishi Fenzi (Intellectual), a magazine that had recently moved accordance with relevant regulations and the foreign affairs back to mainland China from the United States. and public security departments must be promptly informed The following media organizations were penalized in the of the matter. If a foreign journalist is already on the scene, for- 1990s: eign affairs or public security personnel must politely persuade In May 1996, Beijing’s Qingnian Baokan Shijie (Youth Press him to leave. If the journalist refuses to comply,a public secu- World) was ordered by the State Press and Publication Ad- rity officer should forcibly remove him from the scene.After ministration to discontinue a newly-launched column on the an incident occurs, the department concerned must quickly Cultural Revolution.When Dangdai Gongren (Contemporary draft a public declaration and submit it for approval to the Worker) in Liaoning Province published an article in 1996 by municipal and district authorities and appropriate leaders. the Shanghai writer Ye Yonglie about the May 16 Circular that Without proper authorization, no one may answer questions launched the Cultural Revolution, the Beijing Press and Pub- posed by foreign journalists.17 lishing Bureau instructed the Liaoning Press and Publishing Some foreign journalists have recorded their feelings about Bureau to order an investigation. how the Chinese government controls their activities. BBC jour- Lingnan Wenhua Shibao (Lingnan Culture Times) stopped publi- nalist Wei Cheng, for example, wrote an article describing his cation on December 30, 1998. Fangfa (Method) was closed observations during news conferences held by the Chinese gov- down in January,1999. Dongfang (East) officially announced ernment around the time of the 16th Communist Party Con- that it was stopping publication in 1999 (it had already been gress in November 2002.Wei reports that Chinese officials closed for two years for “reorganization”). habitually turn news conferences into propaganda meetings Beijing Wenxue (Beijing Literature) was ordered to make a touting government achievements. Before a news conference, self-criticism in 1999 for publishing an essay entitled “Death officials pick journalists working for the official Chinese news on May 4,” by Guangdong writer Lin Xianzhi. media or foreign journalists who are “good friends” of the Chi- Jinri Zhongguo Chubanshe (Today’s China Publishing nese government, such as those working for Hong Kong’s Ta House) had its license revoked in May 1999 for publishing my Kung Pao or the France-based Ouzhou Shibao (European News, a book, Xiandaihua de Xianjin (translated into English under the title newspaper published with a financial subsidy from the Chinese Pitfalls of Modernization).The person who had planned the book government), and allow them to ask questions that give Chi- and the editor responsible for its publication were banned nese officials the opportunity to boast of their achievements. from further employment in media or publishing. Such orchestrated events are news conferences in name only.18 At the beginning of November 1999 the Chinese newspaper satirizing the theory ofthe thetheory satirizing “Three Represents.” accused by theCentralCommitteePropaganda of Department Wanbao n tteSas (“ ing at theStars” lishing HouseinJiangxipublished my essay, “We Are StillGaz- withthenewspaper.When theLijiangPub- “deal severely” mittee ordered theGuangdongPropaganda to Department thePropaganda oftheParty Department CentralCom- 2001, published aspecialinterview withmeon MayWeekly), 2, vnn es,published by the Evening News), political mistake.” itwas considered tobea “serious tence oflabor unions,” therefore there isnoneedfor theexis- plete unanimousaccord, “labor unionsandtheParty are incom- contained thestatement, Becausethespeech about China’sTrade labor unions. Unions, by ofthe actingchairman All-China FederationWei of Jianxing, was dismissed. andtheeditor ordered tosuspendpublication for “reform,” dismissed andtransferred tootherposts. were department andtheentire staffoftheeditorial Zhou Shi, itseditor-in-chief, ture ChineseSociety”; ofContemporary publishing my essay, “AGeneral Analysis oftheEvolving Struc- in-chief Zhang Hongzunwerein-chief dismissedfrom theirposts. and itseditor-in-chief was eventually replaced. Tide) received several from warnings thepoliceauthorities, Gongren Ribao Gongren Shifan University DaxueChubanshe(ShaanxiNormal Press), Shanxi Shantou DaxueChubanshe(Shantou University Press), HaitianChubanshe(HaitianPublishing House), House), Dianying Chubanshe(ChinaFilmPublishing ing House), GaigeChubanshe (ReformPublish- in thiscategoryinclude: were therefore repeatedly “rectified.”Well-known publishers booksorthat worked togetherwithbooksellers and lematic” the paper tostoppublication. andofficially ordered andisreally inane,” government leaders, paganda decreed Department that thisarticle central “ridicules Pro- page.The onitssecurities mines theCharacterofStocks” Fate “CharacterDetermines andHumanNature Deter- entitled, ordered tostoppublication anarticle becauseithadprinted Army investigated ofmeasures against andtookaseries InNovember 2000thePeople’seral occasions. Liberation Wind) was officially ordered onsev- tomake aself-criticism to bemerged withtheCommunist Party newspaper Autonomous Regiontostoppublication becauseithadrefused ordered by theParty CommitteeoftheGuangxiZhuang Ribao were dismissedfrom the newspaper. andtwo editorsresponsible for thearticle from theirposts, tary.The deputyeditorandthenews manager were dismissed its reputation withareportdetailingproblems withinthemili- Shanxi Province. icized for publishing anessay by Xie from awriter Yong, In June2001, In 2000, In March 2000 In March In 2001the Then there were publishing housesthat published “prob- (Guangxi Daily).When (Guangxi Daily).When (Lanzhou Evening News) for having allegedly damaged (Workers Daily) published onitsfront page aspeech Baihuazhou Guangxi Shangbao Nanfeng Chuang Jingji Zaobao( Gongren Ribao Gongren Women rengran yangwang xingkong Shuwu (A Hundred Flowers) was officially crit- (Studio) magazine was purged for Yancheng ( Wanbao Economic Morning News)Economic Morning was director ZhaiZugengandeditor- (The Window oftheSouth (Guangxi BusinessDaily) was Xinwen Zhoukan Bainianchao Yangcheng 21 ) itwas ”), (Hundred Year (News It was Guangxi Lanzhou Zhoumo Because dent. through apurge over avery typicalinci- paper was “rectified” Xiaoping deSanshangSanxia Shengdian polmtc include: “problematic” Wenyi Chubanshe(Chunfeng Wenyi Publications). Hainan Chubanshe(HainanPublishing House)andChunfeng Chuban Gongsi(China Wenlian Publishing Company), Zhongguo Wenlian PublishingChubanshe (Southern House), Nanfang hua Chubanshe(XinhuaPublishing House), Xin- Liaoning Jiaoyu Chubanshe(LiaoningEducation Press), Qunzhong ChubansheHouse), (MassesPublishing House), Chubanshe (China Gongren WorkersZhongguo Publishing Daxue Chubanshe (RenminUniversity ofChinaPress), ZhongguoRenmin (TheElephantPress), Chubanshe Daxiang Zhongguo Chubanshe(Today’s ChinaPublishing House), Jinri Literature and PublishingArt House), (Changjiang Changjiang WenyiPublishing House), nile Chubanshe XinjiangQingshaonian Chubanshe(XinjiangJuve- House), Guizhou RenminChubanshe(GuizhouPeople’s Publishing here willbetorectify andhave behaved toofar, much outrageously. Mymaintask “TheGuangdongmediahave taken liberalization meeting, hedeclared at apropaganda work dong Provincial Committee, and Party propaganda oftheGuang- became secretary chief) Standing CommitteeMemberoftheParty CentralCommittee (currently aPolitburoIn thelate-1990s whenLiChangchun andfrequently itby criticized name. tion ofliberalideology” tee’s Propaganda hadcometoconsiderita Department “bas- theCentralCommit- in-depthreportsoncorruption, daring Encounter withLocke’s Posthumous Work andMemoirs), Underground Interviews inChina), Gu Zhun Wenji Zhongguo deZuohuo Shanghai Baby (China’s Path), yonhm,Iwon’t letmymy read children the own home, Works as such by written Generation Wei Hui’sY writers, People’s Liberation Army theCulturalRevolution). During Mijing Department was one of the chief editor’s wasDepartment oneofthechief basicskills. totheCentralCommittee’s self-criticisms writing Propaganda sniie content. “sensitive” many more bookscouldnotbepublished becauseoftheir Two Peaks), aur 00.Journalists at January 2000). was donein Jiang be transferred toanotherpost(which Yiping, issueanorderthatDepartment the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, was tohave theGuangdongProvincial CommitteePropaganda Guangdong media. ing’s Political Career) and Memorial toUtopia), Memorial Books classifiedby theCCPropaganda asbeing Department After Jiang Yiping was transferred from hisjob, nMy20,the In May 2001, The most serious rectification took The mostserious measure LiChangchun (The Secrets ofChineseOfficialdom), .”This statement intoabutt was ofjokes turned by the (The Fallen Temple), were alsolabeled Needlesstosay, “problematic.” , Lishi deXiansheng (The Collected Works ofGuZhun), Nanfang Zhoumo Gulage Qundao (China’s LeftistDisaster), Nanfang Zhoumo Nanfang Zhoumo Xuebai Xiehong (The UpsandDowns ofDengXiaop- Shan’ao lideZhongguo Wenhua Dageming deZhongguoJundui (The HarbingersofHistory), (The Gulag Archipelago), had earned areputationhad earned for its Nanfang Zhoumo Zhongguo DicengFangtanlu WieSo,RedBlood), (White Snow, (Southern Weekend)(Southern news- Yu LuoKe Yizuo yuHuiyi n te esaes In and othernewspapers. Wutuobangji (China Between used tojoke that Zhongguo deDaolu Nanfang Guanchang Nanfang (Record of (A Chenlun de (An (The Deng

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE 21 CHINA RIGHTS FORUM NO.1, 2004

Zhoumo showed some restraint, but because its journalists had depends entirely on the government rather than the market. a keen sense of social responsibility,the paper continued to China’s 2003 news media reforms, although undertaken in the report on local corruption.The Propaganda Department there- name of relieving market over-supply,were actually intended fore issued orders for a purge under which acting editor-in- by the government to eliminate competition to national and chief Qiang Gang was transferred, vice-editor-in-chief Chen provincial-level Party papers, boosting subscriptions to People’s Mingyang and the deputy assignment editor of the news Daily, Qiu Shi (Seeking Truth Magazine), and other such publica- department were dismissed, several key journalists were fired tions through government proclamations and guaranteeing a and a “politically reliable person” was transferred from Nan- minimum number of subscribers for Party-sponsored papers. fang Ribaoshe (Southern Daily Group), the media organiza- The 2003 Code of Practical Regulations (Shishi Xize), Part IV, tion in charge of Nanfang Zhoumo, to be the new editor-in-chief. Clause 1, clearly mandates that district, town and village level All journalists who kept their jobs had their “conduct” (i.e., organizations, country primary and secondary schools and their attitude toward Party and government work) monitored other local units must use public funds to subscribe to key for half a year to determine whether they would be kept on. Party-sponsored publications such as People’s Daily, Qiu Shi, With the journalists of Nanfang Zhoumo scattered to the four provincial newspapers and periodicals and local and city winds, China’s “premier weekly publication” lost its former papers.All groups using public funds for subscriptions must luster. apply them first to Party papers and periodicals, especially The cases cited here involve only two of the many methods national-level publications.22 the Chinese government employs to suppress freedom of Before the opening up and reform of Chinese society,when speech: threatening journalists’ livelihood and judicial perse- all Chinese media were funded and controlled by the govern- cution. Other methods employed by the state include deploy- ment, rights of ownership were quite straightforward.At that ing the Ministry of State Security to follow the movements of time, any private individual who wanted to start a newspaper socially influential people, tap their phones, monitor their e- was automatically branded a criminal. But China’s market mail, open their letters and stake out and covertly search their reforms have forced Chinese media providers to consider eco- residences, as well as exploiting the State’s monopoly over nomics and income, and the bureaucratic nature of the Chi- public opinion and various dictatorial methods to frame and nese media has thrown up obstacles in the road to smear dissidents and intellectuals critical of the government. marketization. In order to survive, government-sponsored It should be pointed out that the list of people and media media all over China have begun to think in terms of business organizations named in the preceding pages is by no means strategies, opening a gap in the Chinese government’s control exhaustive. I have only recorded a small fraction of the many of news media. victims, whose number continues to grow. The rise of popular media and the fate of the 2003 reforms Editor’s Postscript:A Western journalist received the following e-mail message on February 10, 2004, from a reporter at The decline of Party-sponsored newspapers Guangzhou’s Southern Metropolitan Daily in reponse to inquiries Before the reform period, the Chinese media had no relevance about a reported media crackdown: “As an employee of the apart from propaganda. But under the reforms, market forces Southern Metropolis Daily,I have been told to keep silent on have brought about the rise of new media organs.These the aforementioned subject, that is why I did not write back include evening and metropolitan papers that Hong Kong and immediately.I am sorry for that and hope you could under- Taiwan researchers refer to as “popular media,” which began stand.All I can say now is that the situation is difficult for us to enjoy ascendancy after 1992.These evening and metropoli- and can be even more difficult in the near future.There has tan papers focus primarily on society,sports and entertainment been a lot of pressure and all kinds of rumours.We don’t know news, with content especially appealing to city dwellers. Even what fate is waiting for our newspaper.We can do nothing but so, they have not been able to enjoy the same degree of open- pray that Dawn will come after the darkness.” ness as Western media because of the Central Propaganda Min- istry’s imposed rule of “Three Meetings,Three Nods of the PART 2: WHO OWNS CHINA’S MEDIA? Head” on any articles critical of any government or Party offi- cial. Under this rule, the reporter, the target of the criticism In democratic countries, the news media industry has inde- and the target’s superior all have to meet prior to publication, pendent legal status.A media company’s investors are its and the target and his superior both have to sign an authoriza- bosses; the market decides the life or death of a company,and a tion certifying that the article can be published. newspaper with no subscribers will fold. But this international However, fierce competition for readers has led industry principle does not apply to China. China’s government agen- players to engage in a new practice known as “blindsiding.” cies have designated the broadcast media as a special commer- This type of reporting has injected new life into the Chinese cial activity,and no matter who its investors are, a news media and made even the dry,monotonous, stifled Party-spon- provider is a publicly owned resource.As a result, all news sored papers change the way they tell the news.The rise of the agencies have just one shareholder: the Chinese Communist popular media also brought a decline in circulation for Party- government. sponsored publications.The circulation of People’s Daily once fell Even more unusually,the survival of media companies to just a few hundred thousand copies, and almost all of its

73 million totalincomefrom adsin1983wasCultural Revolution.The China’s ofthe massmediawas reborn afterthedisruptions In1978, be adducedfrom theirshare ofadvertising income. public at large. ideological propaganda publications are appreciated by the itisclearhow littlethese vants whilethey shouldbeworking, orthat are provided for leisurely by public perusal ser- funds, national andprovincial papers that are paidfor by public thepercentage Considering of know how tousetheInternet. are olderpeoplewhodon’t andthemainsubscribers 300,000, however, circulation Now, hasdropped to peak offive million. andcirculation a at onepointreached news, get international erence) was theonly Chinesepeoplecould sourcefrom which otott h oua aes eoe19,thetopnational Before 1990, lost outtothepopularpapers. Party-sponsored papers have clearly the share ofadincome, of Interms increasing at arate of39percentperyear. 1996, Chinese news sources are fairly uniform. Photo:APWideWorld uniform. Photos Chinese news sourcesarefairly from theirshare ofadvertising income. sponsored papers can alsobeadduced The drop incirculation for Party- byscriptions government mandate. weresubscribers public entitiesforced tomaintaintheirsub- Previously, theofficially published The drop incirculation for Party-sponsored papers canalso yuan jumpingsharplytoalmost7.8billion , 23 Cankou Xiaoxi (News Ref- yuan by paper, culation methodsare far andaway tothat of superior methodsandcir- reporting content, reporting ness strategies, anditsbusi- wasindustry well established by around 1996, some citieshave metropolitan paper more thanone.The and papers inChina(includingearly editions), andmorning Now there are more than20metropolitan newspapers. when provincial Party papers beganpublishing city-focused metropolitan papers first madetheirappearance after1992 metropolitan papers amongChina’s urbanpopulations.These oua ae) andShaanxi’s popular paper); paper) with ot oua ae) Guangdong’s apopularpaper); Post, investigation Shanghai’s comparing sponsored paper) with position. whereas provincial papers are inaweakertising revenues, and 3)Popular papers easily dominate adver- 1:2.5 and1:3.1; papersparty toregional popularpapers standsat between 2) The ratio ofadvertising incomeofprovincialaround 1992; 1) The incomegap appeared first with three conclusions: twentieth slot. andin1997itdropped below the ranking amongthetopten, thepaper was unable tomaintainits By1995, progressed. but itlostadvertising steadily asthe1990s test toattract ads, al,aparty-sponsoredpaper) with Daily, The lively popularpapers clearly reflect atrend toward People’s Daily 25 Xi’an Evening Post 24 Two HongKong performed an researchers was theunquestionedwinnerincon- , Xinmin Wanbao (a popular paper).They cameup (a popularpaper).They Shaanxi Daily Liberation Daily (New People’s Evening Nanfang Ribao Yangcheng Evening Post (a party-sponsored (Southern (a party- (a

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE 23 CHINA RIGHTS FORUM NO.1, 2004

Party-sponsored papers. Circulation figures have soared: Chu not being closed down are to be wholly absorbed into the Tian Dushibao (Chu Tian Metropolitan News) has reached a cir- Party-sponsored fold, or else merged with Party-sponsored culation of one million in the intense Wuhan media market; papers at all levels. Huaxi Dushibao has already surpassed 350,000 subscriptions in It is not difficult to discern the true aims of this round of the Chengdu region; and Hunan’s Xiaoxiang Morning Post has reforms. Cutting government bureau publications is a way of overtaken the staid Hunan Daily and the official Changsha Evening relieving financial burdens and concentrating the limited Post. resource of publicly funded subscriptions on central Party Chinese news sources are fairly uniform, but the metro publications, thereby restoring them to the pre-reform system papers offer more attractive layout and photos as well as fea- of public subscription. But even more important is the drive to tures on society and daily life. In the first half of the 1990’s, the shut down papers with incorrect politics and with records of Chinese government still labeled the purely entertainment- violating regulations. Based on my eight years of experience, focused tabloid (bagua) news as containing “unhealthy con- the government has only political offenders in mind, and not tent,” and occasionally imposed limits on the publication of financial offenders. Finally,the annexation of non-Party publi- stories relating to celebrity scandals and other popular tabloid cations achieved by this executive order is nothing more than a topics such as get-rich-quick schemes, sex and murders. By the reversion to total control by the Party. end of the 90s, however, the government’s Propaganda Min- istry came to the realization that in a society that could become Who actually owns the popular media? politicized in the blink of an eye, tabloid news could effectively It must first be noted that popular media production faces two divert the attention of the public and induce them to fall in limitations from the outset: 1) Official regulations clearly for- line.As a result, the bureaucracy has adopted a much more bid private publications; every publication that applies for lenient attitude toward Hong Kong and Taiwan-style “scandal authorization must be run by the government or by govern- sheets,” while reserving its strictest censorship and punish- ment officials.This is set in stone. 2) Because of these restric- ment for political offenses (with provincial governments fol- tions, the funding of many publications must be concealed. For lowing the example of the central leadership). example, some publications don’t receive direct government funding, but rather are offshoots of officially run publications Media reform and the rules for survival 26 (such as provincial papers) that have raised money through If any news media can still make the claim of attracting read- advertising and business sponsorships to launch papers more ers’ attention in any significant way,it is the popular media, suited to the demands of the popular market. Examples include including the metro papers.The number of news providers Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend) and Nanfang Dushibao (South- increases daily,a phenomenon causing enormous headaches ern Metropolis Daily), both started by Guangdong Province’s for official censors.A culling process has now been initiated official Nanfang Ribao; Qilu Wanbao (Qilu Evening Post), one of the among weak, low-quality papers through the 2003 reforms, top four evening edition papers in China, backed by the Shan- which mandate criteria for the survival and extinction of dong provincial paper Shandong Daily; Jin Wanbao (This Evening), newspapers and periodicals. Publications that meet the follow- which received funding and sponsorship for its launch from ing standards may continue to publish: Tianjin’s official Tianjin Ribao, and finally Shanghai’s Xinmin Wanbao – The central government’s “three papers and one maga- (New People’s Evening Post), which drew its seed funds from zine” (People’s Daily, Guangming Daily, Economics Daily and Qiu the Shanghai municipal government. Shi) and provincial Party papers and periodicals; Since China’s media can’t be privately funded, all private – Publishers with correct politics that have broken no laws investment in publications is illegal. Under these circum- for five years, are in solid financial shape, and whose per- stances, non-governmental money injected into a media com- centage of paying private subscribers exceeds 85 percent pany cannot be openly acknowledged. For example, Xin Zhoukan (this only applies to provincial-level publishing houses); (New Weekly) was bought and taken over by Shenzhen’s Sanjiu – The offshoot publications of Party-sponsored newspapers. Group, but the change in ownership is only acknowledged The following types of publications must cease operations: behind closed doors, and the change of sponsoring organiza- – Those with incorrect politics, or those that have broken tion has not been officially registered.The Guangdong Socio- the law within the past five years; logical Institute’s Gang’ao Jingji (Hong Kong/Macao Economy) – Party bureau publications with similar content must has been funded for some time by Zhuhai United Pharmaceu- merge, and those with paying private subscriptions mak- ticals Group to the tune of two million yuan, but the magazine ing up less than 50 percent of total subscriptions must lists United Pharmaceuticals only as a supporter. No one dares close down; to indicate that the Group is really the principal investor and – All newspapers and periodicals published by founda- owner. tions, think tanks and research institutions associated Investing under these conditions is extremely risky.By with administrative, public safety,financial, tax, com- way of illustration, Henan Communist Youth Group was mercial/industrial, life planning, traffic, public health, unable to maintain its monthly periodical Qingchun Shuiyue environmental, fire prevention or any other bureaus at (Youth), so they signed a contract with a private business- the provincial level or below. man surnamed Xue in November 2000.The contract stipu- Publications that do not belong to the Party system and are lated that the original editing staff of the magazine would ainlamnsrtv ueusassmn rcs,andto assessmentprocess, national administrative bureau’s ihslsloiggo,thestaffof with saleslookinggood, thesecondissueof2001, funds insalespromotion.After Xueinvested additional Mr. tastes ofthe “new generation,” As therevamped magazine’s managed articles tosuitthe issue and tomoveeach thepublication’s offices toShenzhen. ( provisions ofthe “Administrative Regulations onPublishing” requires a newly established newspaper to comply withthe publishing 1)Current law houses are publicly owned: on theentire mediaindustry. thereby settingclearlimits national publications law isenacted, to make decisionsonacase-by-case authorization basisuntila andthat they willcontinue over authority visory thisprocess, ofState’sMinistry three administrative officeshave wide super- Newsdebts.The Publishing Bureau officialindicated that the funding by individualsorgroups must betreated asloansand infusionsof apublication isestablished, tion asawhole.When mostpapers inChinatoday are funded by thepopula- by law; publication’s organization investor sponsoring istheprincipal andthe ofapublication system, launch issubjecttoapermit the laws, Undercurrent are publicly-ownedperiodicals assets. Guidebook toFine thatArts) allofChina’s newspapers and Bao Jingying 1999, OnOctober21, shortcut.” settled by theChinesegovernment in1999by way ofa “legal 800,000 themagazine threatened ofcontract.The breach ment, thetwo sidesfailed anagree- toreach the discussion.When it hadnotyetaprofit—and beguntoturn asked stafftodelay Xue felt that thepublication was stillinitsformative stage— Mr.their contractsberevised withincreased pay andbenefits. edging existenceofprivately owned publications inChina. apparentlyence hereferred to acknowl- “state-owned media,” at the2002National Propaganda Confer- was more realistic; the ChineseCommunist Party’s JiangZemin, formerleader, Even theownershipbuy back ofallthenewspapers inChina. suggested in1998that the Treasury comeupwithmoney to he Inordertoenhancegovernment oversight, government. ling themediaisduetoitsincompleteownership by the Hebelieves that theincreasing difficultyofcontrol- derstood. that even Propaganda DingGuan’genhasmisun- Bureau chief transaction was illegalinthefirst place. sincethewhole hehadnoroom for negotiation, smoke; businessman agreed toprovide of300,000 backing would holdtheownership toallpublished copy.The rights andthemagazine being relieved oftheireditingduties, continue toreceive of10,000 monthly salaries ing logical Instituteonthesubjectoftheirpublications stated unequivocally inadirective totheChinaSocio- Bureau ofFinanceandtheNews theMinistry Publishing Bureau, es ( pers” sional Rulesfor Administration of thePublication ofNewspa- Chuban Guanli Tiaoli ) got the scoop on an important story:The Public story:The ) gotthescooponanimportant Affairs The officialalsopointedouttheways publishing inwhich was quietly thethornyActually, questionof “ownership” The covert management ofnew publications issomething Baozhi ChubanGuanliZanshiGuiding yuan (Chinese Economics)and htM.Xuehadalready investedthat went Mr. upin ) andtheNews Publication Bureau’s “Provi- Xinwen ChubanShe Jingbin GouwuZhinan Qingchun ,topassthrough the ), demanded that yuan ( News Publish- Zhongguo while yuan (A for 27 money advances—a formofloanthat must betreated asdebt as orfrom individualsorcorporations donations, charitable Funding canbedrawn of assistanceintheform from corporate other formsoffundraisingcannotbecalled “investment.” and organizationsponsoring istheonlyinvestor, authorized the publishing company Byofficialdecree, to raisemoney. but oftenthesponsorleaves ittothe organization, sponsoring seedfundsare sometimesprovided by the Agency official, accordingtothe the formative stages ofanew publication, asfor ownership ofallmediacompaniesisentirely public.And the tothisscheme, of state-owned institutions.According they were founded underthebannerhead by thegovernment, even ifthey were notdirectlyfor financed otherpublications, papers were generally financedorsubsidizedby thestate.As levelsvarious ofgovernment news- madeupover 1,000.These Party-sponsoredof which papers andpublications ofthe papers were created—over 2,000papers across thecountry— alarge number ofgovernment agency news- opening period, thereform and set by Party-sponsored publications.After of theindustry. ofChinesenewspapersthe structure andthepresent situation 3)Control isimposedthrough administration by thesponsor; dependenceonand ized by thepublisher’s subjugation to, tion ofthesponsorshipsystemcreates asituation character- 2)Implementa- apply for apublication sponsorshippermit; form withreality? Butdoesthiscon- andreforms are imminent. dented changes aslew ofunprece- toopenupits media market; preparing announcetremulouslyThese articles totheworld that Chinais weaken theCommunist government’s control over thepress. will leadtothemarketization ofChina’s mediaandseverely foreign think it scholars forced itsway through theirdoors; media organs hasalready protest that media imperialism ment intheChinesemediamarket isalready Chinese areality. bly for onemore meeting. itwould besimply amatter ofconveningapproval, theassem- Assembly’s Even ifthey didrequire rubber-stamp approval. uments donoteven require thelegitimization ofthePeople’s government’sership andsponsorship.The so-calledlegaldoc- Communist government hasnever recognized transfer ofown- becausethe norcanthey protect theirownership rights, deals, Investors have noroomproclaim tonegotiate any clearrules. seesnoneedto which styleoftheChinesegovernment, itarian hasbeenresolved fussintheauthor- ship rights withoutmuch ol tg”isalready a world stage” have published hintingthat articles the the “media entering Manytaneously scholars beginoperating under WTO rules. the newsandwillsimul- industry mediawillbecomeaservice istosay, asChina undergoes which globalization,world stage,” It hasbeentaken for grantedthat “when themediaenter The myth offoreigninvestment andafree press doesnotapply. of principle “investor asowner” thebusiness activity different from mostbusiness ventures, Since apublication istreated asaspecialkindofcommercial China’s newspaper was industry built onthefoundations The seemingly complicated questionofpublication owner- fait accompli andthat foreign invest- , 28 .

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Tsinghua University journalism professor Liu Jianming has nese Cable Network.The sixty-minute daily segment of written an article rebutting myths about the eagerly awaited “Tianlai Village” has become the highest rated program globalization of Chinese media, as follows:29 created by a foreign-domestic cooperative venture.32 – According to a news report, “CCTV’s fourth season has Liu:The unsubstantiated assertions in this article are already been broadcast in the U.S. by Time Warner on an really shocking. First, China has never had a “Chinese American satellite channel.We had to repay them, so we Cable Network.” Second, the notion of the daily segment opened up the airspace over the Pearl River Delta region of “Tianlai Village” enjoying top viewership ratings is and allowed non-news satellite broadcasts—Chinese arts pure nonsense. In China, only big hotels and a tiny programs, for example.”30 minority of viewers receive the satellite service that Liu:As far as I know,the high-level officials in charge would allow them to watch MTV programs.33 of news and propaganda have not made any such deci- – In October of 2001, a Guangzhou paper quoted anony- sion, and it is pure fiction that CCTV’s fourth season has mous sources as saying that China was planning to allow been broadcast over American satellite.Actually,this more than thirty foreign stations to broadcast in Guang- rumor is based on something that happened in January dong in the near future.34 This news was widely dissemi- of 2002. Currently,a Murdoch News Group arts channel nated over the Internet. has been authorized to broadcast on Guangdong Liu: I asked the officials who would have been respon- Province’s cable service, and one CCTV program can now sible for this decision, and I was informed that the gov- be viewed in the U.S.31 Apart from this, there are no hard ernment broadcasting offices have no such large-scale facts showing that other foreign broadcasters’ channels plans.They also had no idea where the talk of more than have been allowed to enter China. Blind guessing or cit- thirty foreign stations came from.Anyone who under- ing of foreign sources is not a substitute for scholarly evi- stands broadcasting coverage in the Southeastern coastal dence of domestic conditions. area knows that any household in Fujian or the Pearl – According to a news report,Viacom’s MTV broadcasts four River Delta can privately install a satellite dish and receive 24-hour channels in Asia alone, reaching more than 120 broadcasts from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. If you million households across Asia. MTV’s Chinese language take the numbers involved in this phenomenon, add to syndicate was founded in 1995, and the program “Tianlai them the small number of large hotels that get foreign Village” is a joint production of MTV Worldwide and Chi- satellite television, and look at scholars’ assertion that

Photo: Reuters o,i icsin vrgoaiain Chinahasmadeonly indiscussionsover globalization, son, For this rea- strategy for dealingwiththequestionofpress. country’stral methodofcontrol—a basic tenetofadictatorial broadcast mediarepresents anattempt tomake ideologyacen- oftheideologicalslantandpolitical nature of supervision China’s cavalierly goods. ofmaterial andexport astheimport they can’t betreated as framework ofaregime andasociety; themediaalsoinfluencepolitical ment tothepublic, have providing news dualsignificance.While andentertain- provided services social development.The by thenews media directly contribute toanation’s itsservices economicand try; the so-calledmediamarket. that theChinesegovernment hasnointentionofopeningup China’s daily tighteningofcontrol over thepress andthought itshouldbeclearfrom Inaddition, topolitics. impervious but thefacts hestates are the sideofprotecting China’s media, our country’s gowrong?” scholarship sion isacompletedisaster.We did where onearth have toask, News basedonillu- research just this—itwas avery hottopic. about every news magazine repeatedly ranarticles asserting just foreign news mediainto Chinaorviceversa.Yet in2001, treaty ofaccessiontothe WTO containsnoagreement toallow ReutersandQingniaowere tohave reported initiated a – In fact the media industry is a spiritual andculturalindus- In fact isaspiritual themediaindustry The politicalleaningsofLiuJianming’s isclearly article on “Itisuniversally known that China’sLiu Jianmingalsosays, affiliation with joint venture tocreate a Web guidetoChinesemediain This isbasedonmy personalexperience.] thesignalwas cutasitentered thecountry. Jiang Zemin, commemorated numerous which gaffes by Leaders”), Chinese mediabusiness. eign mediacapital hasalready madeitsway intoa wouldniao at Peking which meanthat University, for- This news that ledtoreports Reuterswas financingQing- monies, and during the2000show andduring “ monies, cere- memorial theJune4th year during each example, Forstations broadcast programs with “sensitive content.” ofbroadcast feed whenHongKonginterruption television thisallowsresidents the tousecable since1996; TV service GuangzhouandShenzhenhave required able toascertain, have already beenreceived for tenyears ormore! foreignmere stations smoke reality, andmirrors—in will beallowed it’s toenter,” obvious that thispromise is foreign channels “after theglobalization oftheindustry, by theillusionofa “looming mediaempire.” media isreally nothingmoreinspired thanacrazystory the much-vaunted inroads offoreign capital intoChina’s Web From thiswe canseethat guidetoChina’s media. norhas Reuterscollaborated tocreate a sity’s Qingniao, Qingniao.net that Reutersinvests inisnotPeking Univer- Hesaidthat the thefactsaspeech. clarifying during hemadeapointof Jeffrey heardthisstory, Parker, tent, tive in Asia responsible ofbroadcast for con- supervision cai Dahufang Liu Atosnt:Ilvdi hnhn andasfar asIwas lived I inShenzhen, [Authors note: Tefnytigi htatrRues representa- funny thingisthat afterReuters’ :The ” (“The Discreet Charm of (“TheDiscreet Charm Twentieth” Century Chuanmei Shiye (Media View) magazine. (Media View) Ershi ShijiLingshouFeng- investment iscompletely unrelated tofreedom ofthepress. talized withHongKong andthiskindof andMacaumoney, isnothingmorecapi- thanacorporation for example, Group, theCCID considered tobeexamplesofforeign investment; few publications currently allowed infrom HongKong are not broadcast television stations oreven state-owned Web sites.The may periodicals, notbeinvested instate-owned newspapers, andthat foreign capital political news may notenterChina, evant government documentsrepeatedly state that foreign ting thecirculation offoreign publications. eign broadcast stations tobereceived inChinaorofpermit- there isabsolutely noquestionof allowing for- undertakings, fromcompanies tohave these ashare intheprofits.Apart eign movies year andallow each foreign movie andmusic and2) The Chinesegovernment twenty willimport for-ment; contentcurrently prohibitedfurnish by theChinesegovern- includingthosethat invest providers, Internet ininternational 1)Foreigners may two representations regarding themedia: having even reached 20,000. itscirculation never lifeshort inmiserable condition, financial endedits this so-called “Chinese-foreign capital jointventure” In1998 waserties initstabloid-style articles. entertainment Kaufman Part 2translated by Jonathan Part 1translated by Paul Frank, political systemandenvironment. butthe identityofapublication’s rather a country’s investors, its own security. ernment’s that openingupthemediawould concern threaten gov- isareflection oftheauthoritarian particularly television, officialcontrol ofthemedia, rather, threat toChina’s security; isthat openingupthenewtruth mediawould notposea ment’s propensity toequate itselfwithChinaasawhole.The “regime security,” theobvious result oftheChinesegovern- 65 million SEZ Newspaper) andHongKong’s years ofexistence, well-being.” and ithasadirect impactonnational security too sensitive; there isnoroom for discussion.Televisionavenue is isclosed, “This oneChineseofficialhassaid, cals issensible andwise.As broadcast stations andperiodi- ment inChinesenewspapers, have emphasizedthat theprohibition against foreign invest- andthey othernations have similarrules,” the country’s good; isfor “Thisrule China’s mediaofficialsrepeat astheirmantra, the state ofChina’s mediaare notpart globalization process. Chinesegovernment’stently denied.The attitude isquiteclear: hasbeenconsis- but officialpermission foreign investment, Longying.net andothersallhadvisionsofattractinglong.net, they have already state-owned divested themselves.The Qian- was created asajointventure by the Tequ Bao saohreape in1996the As anotherexample, statements by China’s high-rankingofficialsandrel- In fact, The most important factorThe mostimportant in freedom ofthepress isnot with This officialclearly equates “national security” In 1997itwas that reported Group invested“the Murdoch sbracai tl;theonly ittooklib- area inwhich ’s bureaucratic style; yuan 36 in the Shenxing People’s Daily reported politicalnews in 35 usdayCiaye”but Chinabyte,” subsidiary Singtao Daily Shenxing Shibao Shenzhen TequBao . During itsthree During . newspaper (Shenzhen Shenzhen

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1. Guangzhou journalist Zhao Shilong, who has covered a number of 18. “Weicheng Riji: Jizhehui shang de Xujia” (Wei Cheng’s Diary: Phoney significant national events, has written a vivid essay recounting his Press Conferences), Chinese-language version of the BBC Web site, own experiences in a “high-risk profession.” Zhao Shilong, “Shi shui November 12, 2002. zai zurao caifang?” (Who is stopping journalists from conducting 19. Joan Maltese, “How China’s Propaganda Machine Works,” Special for interviews?), Nanfeng Chuang (The Window of the South Wind), NewsMax.com, Friday,July 4, 2003. February 2002. 20. David Lore, “The Perils of Speaking out in China,” Dow Jones News 2. Zhao Shilong, ibid. Wires, December 8, 2003; The Asian Wall Street Journal,August 13, 2003. 3. Tai Yueng Po (The Sun), Hong Kong, January 1, 2002. 21. Translator’s note:The “Three Represents” is the CCP doctrine that the 4. Fazhi Ribao (Legal Daily), Beijing, January 17, 2001. Editor’s note: On Party represents and has always represented the development February 20, 2004, the Xinhua News Agency reported that Wan demands of China’s advanced productivity,the forward direction of Ruizhong, a former county Party head in southwestern Guangxi, was China’s advanced civilization and the fundamental interests of the executed after being found guilty of taking 3.2 million yuan in bribes overwhelming majority of the people in China. from the operators of the Lajiapo tin mine in return for concealing a 22. “On Effecting the Adoption of the Provisions of the CCP Central Com- fatal flooding of the mine, which killed at least 81 people in 2001. mittee and the Ministry of State Central Committee’s ‘Notice on The Xinhua report said that armed thugs were hired to keep reporters Enhancing the Management of Overabundance of Party Bureau Publi- away,as a result of which the incident was not reported until two cations, and Using Official Authority to Promote Distribution and weeks after it occurred. Lighten the Burden of Grassroots and Agricultural Units,” China News 5. “Shandong jizhe fang tangwu’an zao jingcha duda” (Shandong jour- Publishing, July 31, 2003, carried on Chuanmei Guancha (http://www. nalists savagely beaten while investigating a case of corruption), Ping- chuanmei.net),Aug. 2, 2003 guo Ribao (Apple Daily), Hong Kong, January 8, 2002. 23. “Central papers do not compete with local papers,” China Economic 6. “Zhongguo jizhe de hong yu hei” (The Good and Bad Among Chi- Times, Dec. 24, 1998.This piece of information was provided by the nese Journalists), a critique of the current state of Chinese journalism. National Statistics Bureau, the China Economic Prosperity Center, the Source: bbs.beida-online.com. New Generation Market Research Company,Ltd., and Britain’s Market 7. Zhongguo Qingnianbao (China Youth Daily), January 14, 2002. Research Bureau. 8. Translator’s note: Xingxiang gongcheng could also be translated as 24. Chen Huailin, Guo Zhongshi, “Analysis of the Gap in Advertising Potemkin-village-style projects, i.e., redundant projects designed to Income Between Party-Sponsored Newspapers and Popular Newspa- boost the prestige and fill the pockets of the party leaders who pursue pers,” Journalism Studies Research (Taiwan), Issue 57, 1999. them. 25. Ibid. 9. “Pilu xianweishuji dagao xingxianggongcheng Gongren Ribao zai 26. All information for this section is from “On Effecting the Adoption of Henan Lushixian bei tongzhi shoujiao” (Unsold editions of the the Provisions of the CCP Central Committee and the Ministry of State Gongren Ribao [Workers’ Daily] in Lushi County,Henan Province, are Central Committee’s ‘Notice on Enhancing the Management of Over- reported to have been confiscated for running articles revealing that abundance of Party Bureau Publications, and Using Official Authority the County Party secretary was pursuing redundant and extravagant to Promote Distribution and Lighten the Burden of Grassroots and projects), Zhongxingwang (China News Service),August 24, 2001. Agricultural Units,” China News Publishing, July 31, 2003, carried on 10. Zhao Shilong, op cit. Chuanmei Guancha (http://www.chuanmei.net),Aug. 2, 2003. 11. ”Yiben qishu de qiyu” (The remarkable adventure of a remarkable 27. South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), Jan. 12, 2002.Article by Vivien book), Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend), front page, October 12, Pik-Kwan Chan 200. 28. News Publishing, Oct. 21, 1999, 1st ed. 12. The Chinese government, through the Central Committee of the CCP, 29. Records of the China News Research Center/China Media, Sept. 22, declared Falungong an illegal organization on July 21, 1999. 2002, vol. 2. 13. Personal interview between the author and Gui Xiaoqi in Shenzhen, 30. “What is the connection between WTO membership and China’s Guandong Province, in May 2001. Broadcasting Industry?” News Reporter, Issue 2, 2001 14. See Zhengquan Shichang Zhoukan (Stock Market Weekly),Vol. 93, Novem- 31. News Media Reference, Issue 2, 2001, p. 5 ber 24, 2001, published by the Chinese Stock Market Research Center 32. Collected Papers from the Third Annual Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Media,Tech- (Zhongguo zhengquan shichang sheji yanjiu lianhe bangongshi). nology,and Societal Development, Nov. 2001, p. 62, print copy. 15. The December 4, 2001, issue of The Sun, a Chinese-language Hong 33. “Bureau of Television and Motion Picture Broadcasting Notice to Kong newspaper, reported that the Zhengquan Shichang Zhoukan article Hotels and Restaurants Ordering that They Must Broadcast Only came as a big shock to the Beijing political elite. Domestic Radio and Television Stations,” Guangfa Shezi (1995), no. 467. 16. “Measures of Beijing Municipality for Implementation of the ‘Regula- This document still has force of law today.The few foreign stations tions Concerning Foreign Journalists and Permanent Offices of For- that can be received in China’s large hotels have concluded individual eign News Agencies’,” promulgated on March 19, 1990, by the negotiations with the Broadcasting Bureau; this does not indicate a Beijing Municipal People’s Government. For the Chinese version, see change in the law as a whole. www.mediachina.net; for an English translation, see 34. Disseminated on Suho.com on Nov. 2, 2001: “More than thirty foreign http://product.chinawe.com/cgi-bin/lawdetail.pl?LawID=328 . stations will be received in Guangdong’s special broadcasting region.” 17. “Beijing Guanfang Ruhe Duifu Jingwei Jizhe” (How the Beijing 35. I experienced and followed firsthand the establishment of the Shenzhen Authorities Deal with Foreign Journalists), op-ed, Duowei Xinwenshe Star Times, and I closely observed the paper’s trajectory for a long time. (Duowei News Service) May 10, 2002. For the regulations, see When I was assigned to the library to critique publications, I would “Guanyu Jiaqing dui Jingwai Jizhe Caifang Shixiang he Guanli check its front page news every day,paying particularly close attention Gongzuo de Tongzhi” (On Strengthening the Management Interviews to how the headlines were written. by Foreign Journalists), Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Chaoyang 36. Peng Li, “China’s Television after WTO,” published in Beijing Daily, Oct. District People’s Government, February 9, 2002, signed and issued by 28, 2001. See also Wen Xian,“China’s Promises about the Propaganda Su Jingmei. Culture after Globalization.”