China's blasting the US media for 2 huge stories
So we know the government is having a bit of a problem with US media right now, and that problem stems from two issues, one domestic to China, and one of international importance.
The international issue has been dominating media for days. On Tuesday the US sent fighter planes to the South China Sea, after reports indicated that China was continuing to develop military capabilities on islands it has built out into the sea.
China, naturally, was not pleased to learn that the US government was sending more weapons to the region, and "reaffirmed its right to self-defense."
That wasn't all, though.
The country also had some choice words for reporters covering the incident. In a message directly addressing CNN's report that fighter jets were on the way, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said the following:
"I would advise the media to not selectively exaggerate or ignore issues, as this will not help your audience understand the bigger picture."
She then asked CNN to consider what other countries were building in the region, and focus on that issue instead.
Noted.
The Chinese press also had choice words for Voice of America, which covered President Xi Jinping's recent speech about the importance of complete party control of the media.
This is from an op-ed un The People's Daily:
VOA, as a mouthpiece of the U.S., will also defend its government. From this point of view, each country does the same, but some may be better skilled at covering their true intentions.
Those who try to deny this fact are simply naive about politics.
However, those saying that Xi's statements indicate a restriction on freedom of speech are making groundless accusations.
The op-ed went on to say that China is relatively weak on the world stage, and that the government was just trying "innovative" approaches to guiding its media.
China's ongoing reform calls for an urgent change in public opinion, ideology and intellectual support. All media should make efforts to implement the principle and direction set forth by the central government.
In the next few years, Chinese media will enter a promising future.
Sounds like it.