Protest against western media's coverage of China

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Starting from early April, 2008, there were many demonstrations held worldwide by some Chinese groups against what they saw as biased coverage by western media regarding China and the Chinese government.

The protests came after recent Tibet unrest, which broke out on March 14, a series of both anti- and pro-China demonstrations surrounding the Olympic torch relay, and CNN commentator Jack Cafferty's remark on China on April 9.

CNN's "The Situation Room" host Jack Cafferty said on April 9, 2008, "So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed," he continued. "I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years." ^[1]

protesters from a 3-generation family

Cafferty's comments caused an outrage among Chinese communities around the world. CNN pointed out that Cafferty's comment was about China's government, not its people. Protesters extended the accusation of painting an unfairly negative image of China to "western" media in general, although many non-Western sources, such as the Times of India^[2] and the New Straits Times^[3] (of Malaysia) had broadly comparable coverage of the events in question. The protesters echoed a rising nationalism in China in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics.

1 Chinese government's response to CNN's Cafferty's remarks
2 Cafferty's comment on his remarks
3 CNN's response to Cafferty's remarks
4 Protests around the world
5 Photos
6 Footnotes
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Chinese government's response to CNN's Cafferty's remarks

The Chinese Foreign Ministry demanded that CNN's Cafferty apologize for remarks he made last week, in which he called the Chinese government "goons and thugs" and said products manufactured in China are "junk."^{[citation needed]}

"Cafferty used the microphone in his hands to slander China and the Chinese people (and) seriously violated professional ethics of journalism and human conscience," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.^{[citation needed]}

Jiang said Cafferty's remarks "reflected his arrogance, ignorance and hostility towards the Chinese people, ignited indignation of Chinese (at) home and abroad and will be condemned by those who safeguard justice around the world."^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Cafferty's comment on his remarks

On April 14, 2008, Jack Cafferty commented on his remarks by saying the following "Last week, during a discussion of the controversy surrounding China's hosting of the Olympic Games, I said that the Chinese are basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they have been for the last 50 years. I was referring to the Chinese government, and not to Chinese people or to Chinese-Americans." ^[4]

[edit] CNN's response to Cafferty's remarks

"We are aware of concerns about Jack Cafferty's comments related to China in the context of the upcoming Olympics...CNN would like to clarify that it was not Mr. Cafferty's, nor CNN's, intent to cause offense to the Chinese people, and [CNN] would apologize to anyone who has interpreted the comments in this way." ^[5]^[6]

"In this occasion Jack was offering his strongly held opinion of the Chinese government, not the Chinese people," a CNN spokesman said in a statement. "It should be noted that over many years, Jack Cafferty has expressed critical comments on many governments, including the U.S. government and its leaders." ^[7]

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that the CNN statement lacked sincerity and instead "turned its attack on the Chinese government to try to sow division between the Chinese government and the people." ^[8]

[edit] Protests around the world

Los Angeles: On April 19, 2008, more than two thousands people gathered outside the CNN building in Los Angeles to protest against its host’s remark on China. Many of them demanded a true and sincere apology from CNN and its commentator Jack Cafferty. [1]
Atlanta: Also, on April 19, 2008. Another two dozen people holding Chinese flags also demonstrated outside CNN's corporate headquarters in Atlanta. ^[9]
London: On April, 2008, one thousand Chinese expatriates staged a silence demonstration in front of the Parliament building in Old Palace Yard on April 19. [2]
Washington D.C.: April, 19, 2008. About one thousand Chinese students and people from local Chinese communities demonstrated in front of US Capitol Hill in support of the Beijing Olympics, and against the CNN host Jack Cafferty's remarks about China. [3] (in Chinese)
San Francisco: April, 26, 2008. Thousands of Chinese American rallied outside CNN's San Francisco office to demand the firing of commentator, Jack Cafferty.^{[citation needed]}