4月1日，CGTN记者刘欣以特邀嘉宾身份通过视频的方式在巴基斯坦国家级论坛“2022伊斯兰堡安全对话”发表演讲并参与讨论。
论坛上，西方记者肖恩含沙射影，暗指中国搞种族灭绝还散布假消息，刘欣借最后一个回答问题的机会给予了精彩反击。
官方媒体何罪之有？中式民主有何不行？刘欣在伊斯兰堡激辩西方记者
针对西方抹黑中国时惯于使用的一些字眼，如“国家媒体”，刘欣一针见血地指出了其中不合理之处：
... 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".
我们努力向世界传递真实、全面和多维度的中国讯息。但我们总是被抹黑，因为我们是所谓的“国家媒体”。
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.
国家媒体何错之有？尤其是中国国家媒体。因为国家需要代表人民，如果国家无法代表人民，人民也不会关注国家，不会接受它的领导，政府明天就会垮台。
而西方始终以西式民主的标准来衡量、指责中国的民主制度，对此，刘欣直言：
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?
如果中国人民喜欢，对他们的生活满意，请让中国选择中国特色的民主制度！为什么我们一定要变成西式民主呢？
刘欣不卑不亢、有理有据的发言引来网友一片叫好声：
以下是刘欣发言文字稿：
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.
我们用英语（开展国际交流和对话），你能想象英语是我的第二语言吗？我的母语是中文。肖恩，恕我直言，你可以试试用中文进行国际交流？ 然后我们来看看，咱们俩谁能在国际平台上得到更多关注。
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.
（语言问题）是我们最大的挑战，我们努力向世界传递真实、全面和多维度的中国讯息。但我们总是被抹黑，因为我们是所谓的“国家媒体”。我一直听到有人这样说，甚至在今天的论坛上，今日俄罗斯（RT）的奥克萨娜也这样说。
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.
女士们先生们，国家媒体何错之有？尤其是中国国家媒体。因为国家需要代表人民，如果国家无法代表人民，人民也不会关注国家，不会接受它的领导，政府明天就会垮台。
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.
我来告诉你两组数据吧，你猜猜中国人民对中国中央政府、即中国政治制度的信任度？你再猜猜中国人民对他们国家媒体的信任度？这两组数据都来源于国际机构。大胆猜猜吧。
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.
第一组数据是哈佛大学耗时13年的调研结果：百分之九十的中国人民信任中国中央政府。第二组数据来自Statista公司，这些数据都是公开、可查证的，百分之七八十的中国人民信任国家媒体，实际数据甚至更高。
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?
为什么你觉得中国政府、中国政体、中国国家媒体都太坏了，但中国人民却非常信任他们呢？这是为何？
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.
因为中国政府和媒体做出了实绩，（从媒体上）看到听到的也和实际生活一致。正因为如此，中国非常团结、极具凝聚力。为什么中国能做出成绩？因为中国人民信任他们的政府和媒体。反过来，这种信任能凝聚群众、群策群力。
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.
第二点是民主。我反复听到这个词，但如果中国人民喜欢，对他们的生活满意，请让中国选择中国特色的民主制度！为什么我们一定要变成西式民主呢？中国宪法规定公民享有言论自由，肖恩，中国宪法也有这个规定。请读一下中国宪法，虽然是中文的，但你能找到英文版本。
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.
我们要强大起来、掌握知识、思想开放、也要虚心听取批评。中国的制度和媒体并不完美，存在很多问题。但通过兼听并蓄，我们变得更加强大、不受虚假信息干扰。这就是我想说的。
来源：CGTN