With programming from a feature on a tourism boom at historical sites of the Chinese communist revolution to updates on a Shanghai museum named for Hong Kong martial-arts movie actor Jackie Chan, China Radio presents a glowing portrait of the world’s most populous country.
What you won’t find on China Radio is actual news, said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch in Washington, D.C.
“It’s not news, it’s propaganda,’’ she said. “This is a state-run press in the truest sense of that term. There won’t be anything about the rising tensions in the South China seas. You never hear anything on that radio station about China’s human rights issues track record. This is very much the government’s view.’’
The Chinese government is trying to improve its image, said Joseph Fewsmith, an international relations professor at Boston University. “It’s consistent with China’s public diplomacy efforts,’’ he said. “They are trying to tell their side of the story to persuade other populations that China is basically a good and reasonable government, and that it’s not a threat.’’
Wang Baodong, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, called the radio service’s US presence valuable. “It’s kind of a cultural exchange,’’ he said. “We encourage the local American people to listen to such programs to gain a more comprehensive understanding of China, what Chinese culture represents, and what the Chinese people are thinking themselves.’’
WILD’s parent company, Radio One Inc. in Baltimore, and China Radio International did not respond to requests for comment.
Beginning in 2009, China invested a reported $6.6 billion to expand the international presence of its state-sponsored media outlets, including China Radio, Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television. Each presents an official spin on news, features, and entertainment.
