China's biggest national news agency launched its global, English-language television news network on Thursday as part of efforts to expand the communist government's influence abroad, the Associated Press (AP) has reported.
Experts say China's media expansion also results from unhappiness with much of the international coverage of sensitive events in China such as Tibet and human rights. The government has accused international media organizations of being biased and focused on negative news.
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China Xinhua News Network Corp (CNC) began broadcasting its English TV service, CNC World, around the clock, including news segments, feature stories, weather updates and special bulletins in Asia, Europe, North America and Africa, the official Xinhua News agency said.
"CNC will present an international vision with a China perspective. It will broadcast news reports in a timely way and objectively and be a new source of information for global audiences," Xinhua quoted its President Li Congjun as saying.
In recent years, China has announced multibillion-dollar plans to raise the country's profile by expanding Xinhua, state broadcaster China Central Television and the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party.
"As the country gains more prominence and confidence on the world stage, China naturally wants to spread its message to the world," said Yu Guoming, a journalism professor at People's University in Beijing. "This expansion abroad will help outsiders better understand China."
CNC World will be broadcast internationally by satellite, cable, cell phone and the Internet, and its U.S. service will be available on cable networks beginning Oct. 1, Xinhua said.
Last year, CCTV began a 24-hour channel airing in 22 Arabic-speaking countries, reaching a total population of nearly 300 million people.
Xinhua, a ministry-level body under the administration of the State Council, China's Cabinet, said it is transforming itself into a multimedia, worldwide news agency.
All three state media outlets enjoy top-level party support and funding, along with virtual monopolies in certain sectors of their domestic markets.
Despite China's rapid economic growth and rising global influence, there has not been a freeing of the media in the country. China has retained its authoritarian one-party political system with strict limits on freedom of speech and civil and political life.
