On April 1, CGTN reporter Liu Xin delivered a speech and participated in the discussion at the Pakistan National Forum "Islamabad Security Dialogue 2022" by video as a special guest.
At the forum, Western journalist Shaun insinuated that China was engaged in genocide and spreading false news, and Liu Xin gave a wonderful counterattack by taking the last opportunity to answer the question.
What is the crime of the official media? Why can't Chinese democracy work? Liu Xin debated Western journalists in Islamabad
In response to some of the terms that the West is accustomed to using when smearing China, such as "national media", Liu Xin pointed out the irrationality to the point:
... We're working so hard, as much as you are trying, to bring truthful, comprehensive, multi-dimensional information from China to the world. But we're always discredited because we are "state media".
We strive to convey a true, comprehensive and multi-dimensional Message of China to the world. But we are always smeared because we are the so-called "national media".
There is nothing wrong coming from the state media, especially when you come from China because the state needs to represent the people. If the state doesn't represent the people, people will not watch it, people will not follow your leadership, you will be gone tomorrow.
What's wrong with the national media? Especially the Chinese state media. Because the state needs to represent the people, if the state cannot represent the people, the people will not pay attention to the country, will not accept its leadership, and the government will collapse tomorrow.
The West has always measured and blamed China's democratic system by the standard of Western-style democracy, and Liu Xin bluntly said:
Let China choose its own style of democracy if the people like the way they live, if people are satisfied with the way they live. Why do we have to switch to a Western-style democracy?
If Chinese people like it and are satisfied with their lives, please let China choose a democratic system with Chinese characteristics! Why do we have to become Western-style democracy?
Liu Xin's humble and well-founded statement attracted a round of applause from netizens:
The following is the transcript of Liu Xin's speech:
We're doing this in English. Can you imagine this is my second language? My native language is Chinese. Shane, with all due respect, try to do this in Chinese. And then we'll see who gets better following on the international platform.
We speak English (for international exchanges and conversations), can you imagine english being my second language? My native language is Chinese. Sean, with all due respect, can you try to communicate internationally with Chinese? Then let's take a look at the two of us who can get more attention on the international platform.
That's the biggest challenge we have, and we're working so hard, as much as you are trying, to bring truthful, comprehensive, multi-dimensional information from China to the world. But we're always discredited because we are “state media”, and I hear this phrase all the time, so often, even in this forum, even from Oksana from RT.
[Language issues] are our biggest challenge, and we strive to deliver a true, comprehensive and multidimensional Message of China to the world. But we are always smeared because we are the so-called "national media". I've been hearing people say this all the time, even on today's forum, Oksana of Russia Today (RT).
Ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing wrong coming from the state media, especially when you come from China because the state needs to represent the people. If the state doesn't represent the people, people will not watch it, people will not follow your leadership, you will be gone tomorrow.
Ladies and gentlemen, what is wrong with the national media? Especially the Chinese state media. Because the state needs to represent the people, if the state cannot represent the people, the people will not pay attention to the country, will not accept its leadership, and the government will collapse tomorrow.
I'll give you two sets of statistics. Can you guess the level of trust of the Chinese people in their central government, meaning their political system? And can you guess the level of trust the Chinese people have in their media? Both from international sources. Take a wildest guess.
Let me tell you two sets of data, and guess how much Chinese people trust the Chinese central government, the Chinese political system? Guess how much trust Chinese people have in their country's media? Both sets of data are sourced from international agencies. Take a big guess.
The first one is from Harvard's 13-year long survey which revaled that 90% of Chinese people trust the central government. The second from Statista — all these are open source, by the way. The number has gone from 70 to 80% of the Chinese people trust in their press.
The first set of data is the result of a 13-year harvard study: 90 percent of Chinese trust China's central government. The second set of data, from Statista, is publicly available and verifiable, with seventy or eighty percent of Chinese trusting the national media, and the actual data is even higher.
Why? You think the Chinese government is so bad? You think the Chinese system is so bad? You think the Chinese press is so bad? But the people trust both. Why?
Why do you think that the Chinese government, the Chinese political system, the Chinese national media are too bad, but the Chinese people trust them so much? Why?
Because we do a very good job and we deliver. Because what people hear, what people read match what they see. And there is a great sense of unity, of cohesion because of that. And that's why China can deliver because people trust the government, people trust our media, and in return, we can do things together.
Because the Chinese government and the media have made real achievements, what they see and hear (from the media) is also consistent with actual life. Because of this, China is very united and very cohesive. Why is China doing? Because Chinese people trust their government and the media. This trust, in turn, unites the masses and pooles their wisdom and efforts.
Secondly, democracy. I've heard this word all the time, all the time. Let China choose its own style of democracy if the people like the way they live, if people are satisfied with the way they live. Why do we have to switch to a Western-style democracy? The freedom of expression is enshrined in our constitution as well, Shane. We have that too. Please read our constitution. It's in Chinese but you can find an English version.
The second point is democracy. I hear this word over and over again, but if Chinese people like it and are satisfied with their lives, please let China choose a democratic system with Chinese characteristics! Why do we have to become Western-style democracy? The Chinese Constitution stipulates that citizens have freedom of speech, and Sean, the Chinese Constitution also has this provision. Please read the Chinese Constitution, although it is Chinese, but you can find the English version.
We, being strong, being literate, being open minded, open to criticism as well. The Chinese system is not perfect, Chinese media is not perfect. We have a lot of problems. But by doing all of these, we are strong, we can be immune to disinformation. That's all I want to say.
We need to be strong, knowledgeable, open-minded, and humbly listen to criticism. China's system and media are not perfect, and there are many problems. But by listening to each other, we become stronger and free from disinformation. That's what I'm trying to say.
Source: CGTN