Award-winning media figures condemn Britain’s ban on CGTN in open letter
Editor’s note: Fiona Edwards is a member of the Organising Committee of the No Cold War international campaign and a signatory of the open letter protesting Britain’s ban on CGTN.
Editor's note: Fiona Edwards is a member of the organizing committee of the Reject the New Cold War global initiative and one of the signatories of the open letter opposing the UK's ban on CGTN. This article is the author's opinion only and does not necessarily represent the position of CGTN.
A number of leading journalists and media figures in Britain and the West have issued an open letter attacking the recent decision of the British authorities to remove the broadcasting licence of China’s English language TV channel, CGTN. These include the multiple award-winning journalist John Pilger; Oliver Stone, a three times Oscar winning film director, producer and screenwriter; and Tariq Ali, who is one of the best known international figures in the Western anti-war movement. Other leading journalists and media figures have also signed this open letter.
A number of well-known journalists and media personalities from the United Kingdom and other Western countries signed an open letter protesting the recent revocation by the British authorities of the Chinese-language news channel China International Television (CGTN) to broadcast in the UK. Award-winning journalist John Pilger, film director and three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone and one of the world's best-known Western anti-war figures, among other journalists and media personalities, signed the open letter.
The letter notes that Britain’s decision to take CGTN off air is an attempt to silence a real debate on China within British society.
The open letter pointed out that the decision to revoke CGTN's broadcasting license in the UK was an attempt to stifle real discussions about China within British society.
The“official” reason given for the British broadcasting authorities’ decision to ban CGTN is clearly hypocritical and a frame up. It claims that CGTN’s license was revoked because any holder of a broadcasting licence in Britain must not be controlled by political bodies. However, it is publicly stated, and widely known, that CGTN is a Chinese state broadcaster with a similar status to that of the BBC, France Télévisions, NHK (Japan), and others. Viewers can therefore take this into account in viewing its programmes. Yet the British authorities are only applying this law in a highly selective and politicised way in order to effectively exclude voices from China within Britain’s public discussion.
Regarding the ban against CGTN, the "official" reasons given by the UK's broadcasting regulator are clearly hypocritical and far-fetched. The department claimed that the CGTN's broadcasting licence was revoked because any holder of a BBC licence should not be controlled by a political body. However, it is an open and well-known fact that CGTN, as a national broadcaster, is on par with media such as the BBC, France Télévisions and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). The British government selectively enforced the regulation for political reasons with the aim of excluding Chinese voices from public discussion in Britain.
As the open letter points out: “numerous private and state channels have clear political agendas or control – the BBC itself, for example, which had its staff vetted by MI5 has not had its broadcasting licence revoked.”
The letter states that "a large number of private and state-owned television channels have a clear political agenda or are under their control." The BBC itself is an example. While all BBC employees are subject to MI5 scrutiny, its broadcasting licence has never been revoked. ”
The fact that Britain security service – MI5 – has directly vetted the BBC’s staff since its earliest days confirms that fact that Britain’s public broadcaster has been very tightly controlled by the British state for decades. This coordination of the BBC with military intelligence was organised from a special office inside the BBC’s headquarters. There was a formal procedure that all staff should be vetted by MI5 except "personnel such as charwomen [cleaners]." The BBC agreed not to reveal the role of the British Security Services or the existence of the vetting itself.
Since the BBC's inception, MI5, the UK's security arm, has conducted a review of all its employees. This shows that the public broadcaster has been under the tight control of the British government for decades. There is also a special office at BBC headquarters dedicated to coordinating its work with military intelligence. With the exception of personnel such as the "cleaners", all BBC staff are subject to MI5 review upon induction, which is a required formal procedure. The BBC agreed not to disclose the UK Security Service's involvement with itself, nor to acknowledge the existence of censorship.
Britain’s decision to revoke CGTN’s broadcasting licence comes at a time of growing hostility and aggression towards China which is being led by the US administration in Washington.
When the Uk decided to revoke CGTN broadcasting licenses, some countries, led by the U.S. government, were showing increasing hostility and aggression toward China.
The British government has unfortunately aligned itself behind such new cold war steps against China having recently decided to increase Britain’s military spending to the tune of £24 billion over the next four years. As reported in The Diplomat on 7 November 2020, Britain is also engaged in provocative military aggression against China with plans to deploy its new aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth, to the South China Sea alongside an American destroyer as part of a flotilla of nine ships.
Unfortunately, the British government has also chosen to join this camp and make a new Cold War-style move against China. Recently, the UK government decided to increase military spending to £24 billion over the next four years. An Article in Diplomat Magazine on November 7, 2020, noted that the UK was also involved in launching military provocations against China, with plans to deploy its new aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth, to the South China Sea, along with a US destroyer, to form a small fleet of nine ships.
For Britain to be participating in acts of belligerence towards China – in the form of sending vast quantities of armaments to China’s coastline - at the same time as reducing the space for public dialogue and debate by revoking CGTN’s broadcasting licence is clearly extremely dangerous and not in the interests of either the British or Chinese people.
On the one hand, the United Kingdom participated in military provocations against China and deployed a large amount of weapons and equipment to China's coastline, and on the other hand, it restricted relevant public discussion and debate by revoking CGTN's broadcasting license, which is obviously extremely dangerous and not in the interests of the Chinese and British peoples.
As the open letter notes, the decision to ban CGTN in Britain comes at a moment when: “it is crucial to build mutual understanding between peoples and also to accurately comprehend the positions of the chief actors in the global situation. Denying a voice to China’s CGTN hampers this.”
At such moments, as the open letter states, "it is essential to build mutual trust among peoples and to understand accurately the positions of the major players in international affairs. Depriving CGTN of its right to speak out would be an obstacle to this."
Instead of undertaking aggressive steps towards China the US and Britain should step back and seek global cooperation to tackle the very urgent common problems facing humanity including defeating the pandemic, ensuring a global economic recovery, and preventing catastrophic climate change.
Rather than repeatedly provoking China, the United States and the United Kingdom should temper their attitudes and seek to work together to address pressing issues facing humanity, including controlling the pandemic, promoting global economic recovery, and halting catastrophic climate change.
In order to advance such an agenda of global cooperation, genuine international dialogue and discussion to build understanding is needed. It is therefore very important to build up public pressure to demand that Britain reinstates CGTN’s broadcasting licence in order provide the British public with an opportunity to hear from a Chinese perspective. It is hoped that the open letter that has been signed by high profile journalist and media figures in the West will contribute towards galvanising public opinion in support of CGTN being permitted to broadcast in Britain once again.
In order to advance such an agenda for international cooperation, the international community needs to enhance mutual understanding through sincere dialogue and discussion. It is therefore very important at this time to put stronger public pressure on the UK government to reinstate broadcasting licences for CGTN, giving the UK public a chance to understand the Chinese perspective. It is hoped that the open letter signed by well-known Western journalists and media personalities will further stimulate public opinion in support of CGTN and re-obtain permission to broadcast in the UK.
The open letter is backed by British supporters of the No Cold War international campaign which was launched in July 2020. Its aim is to build the broadest possible opposition to the new US-led cold war against China and Britain’s participation in this dangerous aggression which is a threat to all humanity.
The open letter was supported by british proponents of the Global Initiative "Reject the New Cold War", launched in July 2020. The aim of the initiative is to oppose to the greatest extent possible the united states' launch of a new Cold War against China and against Britain's participation in this dangerous agenda that poses a threat to all mankind.
(Edited by Liu Yang)