EU Let China Censor Ambassador’s Op-Ed By Removing Reference To Coronavirus Originating In China
The European Union allowed the Chinese government to censor part of an op-ed by the EU ambassador to China published in a state newspaper China Daily.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) insisted on censoring an op-ed by the EU ambassador to China to remove a reference to the COVID-19 coronavirus originating in China, an EU spokesman said Wednesday, adding that the EU acquiesced to the censorship rather than withdrawing the op-ed.
The EU’s ambassador to China and the ambassadors of the 27 EU member states co-authored a China Daily op-ed touting the EU’s relationship to China.
The original version of the op-ed, which was published on the EU’s website, shows the offending passage noted “the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world,” before it was removed.
“The EU Delegation to China was informed that the publication could only take place with the agreement of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” an EU spokesman told BuzzFeed.
The EU delegation “made known its concerns” but still proceeded with the op-ed because they “considered it important to communicate very important messages on EU policy priorities, notably on climate change and sustainability, human rights, multilateralism and the global response to Coronavirus,” the spokesman added.
Confirmed — EU/EU27 op-ed in China Daily had references to the origins of the coronavirus removed by China’s MFA. EU/27 knew ahead of publication. Unedited copy has been published on EU and some member states’ websites — EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: pic.twitter.com/VMVUn7qgAY
— Alberto Nardelli (@AlbertoNardelli) May 6, 2020
What’s amazing about this statement is the EU is confirming they were told to censor their op-ed by the Chinese government, they objected, but then folded and let the censorship go ahead anyway. Horrendous. https://t.co/dZxL6LPBEc
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) May 6, 2020
The censorship of the China Daily op-ed isn’t the first time that the EU has apparently let China control the coronavirus narrative.
The EU reportedly watered down a report on coronavirus disinformation following pressure from China last month.
The EU reportedly nixed a reference to China’s “global disinformation campaign” from the report following the pressure from Chinese authorities.
China has waged an aggressive propaganda campaign meant to absolve itself from blame for the coronavirus pandemic.
A majority of the 17 agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community believe that the coronavirus accidentally leaked from laboratory in Wuhan, China, a senior intelligence official previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
China meanwhile has shut out other countries and the China-aligned World Health Organization from its investigation in the coronavirus’s origins. China’s stonewalling on the investigation appears likely to continue.
China’s ambassador to the United Nations said the communist nation won’t allow international experts to investigate the virus’s origins until after China has secured the “final victory” over COVID-19, the South China Morning Post reported Wednesday.
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The EU is hoping for trade concessions from China.
The more EU and the US for that matter, trades with China, the farther the EU and US will fall behind.
This reminds me of the New York Times, which had Hillary Clinton’s campaign review their stories about Hillary Clinton before publication, essentially censorship.
It means, you can’t believe anything coming out of the EU.
Censorship takes many forms.
Here in the USA we have Mega-Media companies going out of their way to stifle Freedom of Speech at the person level and opinions that oppose their Liberal diatribe. Our local owner sold us out to the owners of Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK , Mega-Owner of over 200++ newspapers and media outlets.
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Suddenly we saw years of local readers comments flushed.
Comments that pointed out Local, county, state and yes national political abuses just suddenly disappeared. Like a City Dept/Commissioner attempting to manipulate Federal funds and re-direct $500K. While claiming to rent out 3-4 Star hotel rooms for the homeless during the Covid-19 Shelter in place order. The Hotel owner was never asked or told and then refused.
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dozens of AP bias articles being pushed daily.
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Now having had so many of their articles factually proven “Liberally Written” or bias, the Mega-Media Owners decided to just suspend all commenting in the middle of the day… just as the US AG BARR is about to out the Treasonous crimes of so many ….. And a Majority are calling for an END to Home Imprisonment.
Now we see: “Hello reader, our article commenting that you would normally see here is temporarily shut down. We still want to hear from you, so we invite you to go to our Facebook page or submit a letter to the editor.”
Which means the Newspaper reader never see the truth or factual replies.
We are well past the time to break up Mega-Media groups that are the real censors and are nothing more than a national Political party media outlet. Or worse running cover for foreign countries mistakes.