EU: Supermarkets spread news as China advances on English language broadcasts [Xinhua]

The Times ^ | 6/30/2009 | Jane Macartney in Beijing

[bruinbirdman]

The secrecy of the project and the unwillingness of officials to give details of which supermarkets — or countries — will offer the broadcasts hint at the style that the state-run programmes will offer.

The official Xinhua News Agency has been chosen to begin the broadcasts and will be making its first foray into TV. It was selected by Beijing’s propaganda mandarins because of its large number of international news bureaux. It also has a lock on the distribution of news to mainstream domestic media.

Chen Yue, a spokesman for Xinhua’s English news department, said: “China has recognised the importance of soft power, and through the medium of television and the internet the Chinese Government aims to strengthen its influence internationally.”

Early this year reports emerged that the Government had launched a 45 billion yuan (£4 billion) scheme to fund a major international expansion of state broadcaster CCTV, the People’s Daily newspaper — the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party — and Xinhua, which is the designated supplier of government news.

The broadcasts by Xinhua to Europe will consist mainly of news briefs of about 10 to 15 minutes as well as a 30-minute segment of feature and lifestyle programmes. All are recorded in the news agency’s Beijing studio. The agency has broader ambitions to burnish China’s ambitions.

Mr Chen said: “It’s still unclear exactly how many countries and outlets will carry our English news but we hope to expand these channels greatly with more broadcast partners by the end of the year.” It is also unclear how Xinhua will alter its programming to create broadcasts that will grab the attention of international audiences and compete with BBC and CNN as well as the state-funded — and increasingly popular — Russia Today and Qatar’s al-Jazeera.

Chinese journalists and media may