ABC rejects criticism its Chinese web portal bows to Beijing censorship

The ABC has strongly rejected criticism its Chinese web portal, AustraliaPlus.cn, helps Beijing to silence critical voices in the region.

An opinion piece in the Australian Financial Review [paywall] by Prof John Fitzgerald, director of the Asia Pacific program in social investment and philanthropy at Swinburne University of Technology accused the ABC of selling out its news values in order to get a foothold in China.

“The ABC has not, and never has, entered into an agreement with China or any country in regards to censorship of its content,” the ABC said in a strongly-worded statement.

The ABC is this week celebrating the first anniversary of its Chinese-registered web portal with a series of special broadcasts in Australia and China. The anniversary coincides with Australia Week in China and the first visit by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, since he took office.

Fitzgerald accused the service of ignoring stories that were damaging to the ruling party.

“No longer is there room at ‘your ABC’ for general news, current affairs reporting or commentary in Chinese, that is likely to give offence to the Central Propaganda Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party,” he wrote.

“We can hardly blame the Chinese Communist leadership for trying to control media platforms at home and abroad. Leninist party organisations are programmed to mount deceptive public propaganda campaigns while operating clandestinely to seize and exercise control over independent agencies targeted for penetration.

“It is another matter when national public institutions – like the billion dollar a year, taxpayer-funded ABC – endorse and encourage Beijing’s efforts to silence critical voices at home and abroad. Everyday compromises by our national institutions betray all Australians, not just Chinese Australians.”

But the ABC, which has a charter that demands it provide an international service, says Australia Plus is part of the nation’s soft diplomacy in the region and has never been promoted as a news service.

In 2014 the Australia Network, which was the ABC international broadcaster, was defunded by the Coalition government when it delivered cuts of $120m to the ABC budget.

The Australia Plus service is online only in China.

“The content includes news, business and lifestyle programming and is based on audience research in those regions,” the statement said.

“The Australia Plus services, including its Chinese programming, are designed to present and promote Australian stories, values and perspectives to the region in accordance with the ABC’s charter.

“The ABC also strongly rejects claims the AustraliaPlus.cn service contains no links to ABC news sites. The AustraliaPlus.cn site clearly promotes a global footer link, in Mandarin, to the ABC’s main website ABC.net.au while AustraliaPlus.cn regularly publishes news and business stories for Mandarin audiences.

“Our services in China remain independent and are designed to be engaging for audiences. They follow an established tradition of ABC broadcasting services delivered for non-domestic audiences and adhere to the highest standards of ABC broadcasting and the ABC’s editorial guidelines.

“To suggest otherwise is simply wrong.”