Constraints on Foreign Journalists in China
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DARKENED SCREEN Constraints on Foreign Journalists in China 1 DARKENED SCREEN Constraints on Foreign Journalists in China September 22, 2016 © 2016 PEN America. All rights reserved. PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of more than 100 centers of PEN International. Our strength is in our membership—a nationwide community of more than 4,000 novelists, journalists, poets, essayists, playwrights, editors, publishers, translators, agents, and other writing professionals. For more information, visit pen.org. Cover photograph: Jewel Samad/Getty Images staff CONTENTS Introduction 4 Outline and Methodology 6 Key Findings 7 Legal and Regulatory Environment for Foreign Media in China 8 Sensitive Subjects: The News Coverage Context for Foreign Journalists 11 Two Cases: Bloomberg News and The New York Times 13 Government Harassment, Interference, and Other Pressures Against Foreign Journalists 18 The Reaction of Media Organizations 33 Conclusions: A Shrinking Space for Foreign Journalism 37 Recommendations 39 Acknowledgments 41 Appendix: Requests for Comment and Interview Requests 42 Endnotes 48 INTRODUCTION When President Obama descended to the tarmac for his last official visit to China in early September, 2016, the For even as China has international news story was not just about the two global powers’ complex relationship, nor about the sweeping modernized its economy climate change accord that Obama and his Chinese coun- terpart would soon sign. Instead, headlines were diverted and opened up to the to a subplot. For what seasoned correspondents said was the first time they could remember in years of travelling world, the government’s with U.S. presidents, Obama’s travelling press corps was barred from seeing and photographing the President’s commitment to strict disembarkation from the plane.1 The journalists were kept back behind a taut rope, with anyone who tried to duck domestic censorship, under it harshly rebuked by Chinese security agents.2 At one point, when a White House official attempted to both online and off, has intervene on behalf of the White House press corps, a Chinese official responded, “This is our country. This is remained steadfast and our airport.”3 The unprecedented level of media controls were maintained throughout the visit, with a promised its methods of control half-dozen slots for journalists to record Obama and Xi taking a walk reduced to just two reporters.4 both powerful In the last three decades, China has undergone the fastest urbanization process in history, presided over the and innovative. rise of hundreds of millions of its citizens out of poverty, and become the second-largest economy in the world after the United States. Foreign journalists trickled into purges. In February 2016, Xi conducted a well-publicized mainland China in the late 1970s, after Deng Xiaoping im- tour of the country’s largest state media organizations, plemented economic reforms and opened the country up ordering their journalists to pledge absolute loyalty to to the world. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, ambitious the Communist Party.8 In July, the Chinese government journalists—many of whom were fluent in Chinese and adopted a strict approach to enforcing a previously poorly well versed in Chinese history and politics—descended enforced decree banning online companies from doing on Beijing and Shanghai to cover one of the world’s most their own original news reporting.9 Chinese commentators, dynamic stories. Today, China draws journalists from the reporters and publishers are increasingly forbidden from world’s largest and most influential news organizations, reporting on stories the government considers “sensitive,” with nearly 700 accredited foreign journalists from more such as the country’s stock market crash of 2015.10 China than 50 different countries.5 These foreign reporters serve now ranks 176 out of 180 countries in the most recent Press a vital role, reporting on the political, social and economic Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.11 stories with a degree of candor that would endanger the China is also among the world’s biggest jailers of jour- livelihoods and lives of Chinese journalists. For even as nalists. In 2015 it had the worst record globally, with 49 China has modernized its economy and opened up to the journalists behind bars, according to the Committee to world, the government’s commitment to strict domestic Protect Journalists.12 Even Chinese news outlets that used censorship, both online and off, has remained steadfast to be outspoken have now been effectively contained, and its methods of control both powerful and innovative. according to media experts.13 The situation for mainland Chinese journalists (not to As the crackdown on domestic media continues, the mention lawyers, academics and activists) continues to de- Chinese government also has strengthened its control over teriorate under President Xi Jinping, who came to power the country’s narrative externally by sending more Chinese in 2012 as general secretary of the Communist Party.6 state media reporters abroad, buying radio stations inter- The Chinese government has long used a combination of nationally—at least 33 radio stations in 14 countries are now surveillance, legal restrictions and financial incentives to owned by state broadcaster China Radio International— either directly control local media or encourage self-cen- and establishing start-up news media companies abroad sorship.7 Xi Jinping has gone further in his attempt to con- that look and feel like independent news organizations but solidate his power and curb dissent in any form, leading are in fact controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.14 some to compare his tactics to Mao Zedong’s political In addition, the Communist Party increasingly uses state COMMERCE IN DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE FOR INSTITUTE MCMASTER OF COURTESY 4 PEN AMERICA Xinhua News Agency Shanghai Bureau. media not only to burnish its image, but also to attack its The constricted situation for foreign journalists work- critics. State media outlets publish a steady stream of news ing in China poses a threat to press freedom rights and stories and “expert” opinion pieces aimed at discrediting therefore to the world’s understanding of this rising human rights lawyers and other activists. The Communist power and its global influence. Foreign journalists re- Party complements these derogative pieces with negative porting in China provide an essential service, informing cartoons and video footage aimed at both domestic and the world about the individuals, ideas, developments foreign audiences.15 Foreign journalists have also been and trends shaping the world’s fastest growing economy, increasingly targeted by the state media and accused of largest single-country population and second-largest being agents of their governments or holding biased views military power. Information gleaned and analyzed by toward China.16 foreign journalists forms the basis for critical decisions PEN America is gravely concerned by the Chinese gov- in investment, diplomacy, global security, trade and the ernment’s growing efforts to muzzle the foreign press. As environment. Given the strict controls on government this report will demonstrate, foreign journalists face more information, domestic journalism and academic scholar- restrictions now than at any other time in recent history on ship, the world has limited alternative sources that can their freedom to report from the world’s most populous compensate for gaps and blind spots in international country. In its most recent survey in 2015, the Foreign news coverage of China. Moreover, foreign journalism Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC),17 a Beijing-based provides an essential window for Chinese citizens eager professional organization for foreign journalists represent- to access information about their country and curious to ing reporters from over 40 nations, reported that 96 per- understand how China is understood globally. Despite cent of respondents said conditions for foreign journalists tight controls on information access, the use of virtual working in China almost never meet international press private networks, travel abroad, and other avenues help freedom standards.18 Thirty-three percent said working ensure that foreign coverage of China does permeate conditions had deteriorated, and 44 percent said condi- inside, offering at least some Chinese citizens an alter- tions were about the same as in the previous year.19 Not native to information and vantage points proffered by a single respondent said conditions had improved since their government. The vital importance of foreign news the previous year. In the 2013 and 2014 survey, 70 percent coverage for both Chinese citizens and for the rest of and 80 percent of respondents, respectively, reported that the world underscores the risks posed by an increasingly 20 COURTESY OF MCMASTER INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN COMMERCE IN DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE FOR INSTITUTE MCMASTER OF COURTESY conditions had worsened or stayed the same. restrictive press freedom environment. DARKENED SCREEN: CONSTRAINTS ON FOREIGN JOURNALISTS IN CHINA 5 OUTLINE AND