China's regulators said the BBC had undermined Beijing's national interests with its reporting. Photo / 123RF
China's regulators said the BBC had undermined Beijing's national interests with its reporting. Photo / 123RF
China has banned BBC World News from its airwaves a week after the UK stripped China's state broadcaster of its UK licence.
Chinese regulators said the BBC had committed "serious content violations", and had undermined Beijing's national interests with its reports and coverage of the Covid-19 crisis, a move branded "unacceptable" by Britain.
The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) in China said BBC World News had broken rules requiring accuracy and impartiality in its reports on China, and had undermined its "ethnic solidarity".
"As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory. The NRTA will not accept the channel's broadcast application for the new year," the regulator said in a statement.
A BBC spokesman said: "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 favour."
Dominic Raab, the UK Foreign Secretary, said: "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 and internet freedoms across the globe and this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world".
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned China's move as "unacceptable". Photo / AP
Distribution of the BBC's rolling 24-hour news channel was already effectively restricted in mainland China, with reports that it was often blacked out and was only available in international hotels. The BBC's website is also blocked in China. It is unclear whether the move will have any impact on its news gathering operations inside the country.
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 move comes amid an escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries over Beijing's crackdown on dissidents in Hong Kong and British reluctance to allow Chinese companies access to the UK 5G network.
Last week China accused the UK of "political oppression, double standards and hypocrisy" after Ofcom, the UK broadcasting regulator, banned CGTN, a Chinese state broadcaster, from British airwaves.
Ofcom revoked its licence after finding it was "ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party", violating rules that require organisations not be controlled by political bodies.
CGTN - which criticised Ofcom for being "manipulated by extreme Right-wing organisations and anti-China forces" - said it intends to continue to operate its European hub from offices in Chiswick Park, west London.
Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the UK foreign affairs select committee, said: "This tit-for-tat is not surprising, but it is concerning.
"In Beijing, the BBC is one of the few trusted news sources and the silence will be felt by many."
