China and the UK are locked in a tit-for-tat war through the media. Beijing came down hard on BBC World News stating that the global network “seriously violated” national broadcasting ethics by publishing news that was neither “truthful” or “fair” thereby hurting the nation’s national interests.
Reacting to the ban, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted: “China’s decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom. China has some of the most severe restrictions on media & internet freedoms across the globe, & this latest step will only damage China’s reputation in the eyes of the world.”
The BBC also responded to the news of the ban with a statement. “We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the world’s most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favor.”
The ban comes a week after the British media regulator Ofcom has banned China Global Television Network (CGTN). The media regulator claimed CGTN was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and hence not applicable for a UK licence.
