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XINHUA, PEOPLE'S DAILY TAIWAN COVERAGE TO BE HALTED: MAC CHIEF

ROC Central News Agency

2005-04-10 16:33:23

    Taipei, April 10 (CNA) The head of the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced Sunday that a program allowing two major Chinese news media organizations to station staff in Taiwan will be halted temporarily in an effort to protect the national dignity and interests of Taiwan.

    MAC Chairman Joseph Wu said the MAC decided to halt the press accreditation for China's official Xinhua news agency and People's Daily newspaper because their coverage of Taiwan is not conducive to enhancing understanding between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

    Wu said that the purpose of allowing Chinese media organizations to station staff in Taiwan -- a practice that began in 2000 -- was to help the two sides better understand each other.

    Unfortunately, Wu said, some Chinese media groups have focused only on the most extreme or radical opinions in Taiwan's political spectrum, which is not helpful to efforts to strengthen cross-strait understanding.

    In addition, Wu said, the Chinese authorities have blocked news reports about Taiwan in all media channels, including Websites, another move that does not help Chinese people to gain better understanding of Taiwan society.

    Discounting immediate criticism that the halt is an abrogation of freedom of the press, Wu claimed that halting Xinhua and People's Daily reporting in Taiwan and freedom of the press are different but parallel issues, given that both the Beijing mouthpieces have always reported Taiwan from extreme, negative and unfriendly angles.

    Meanwhile, Wu noted that the government will not cease media exchanges with China across the board and that other unofficial Chinese news media organizations will still have the opportunity to come to Taiwan to cover news.

    Nevertheless, he added, any media, cultural or educational exchanges could be strictly assessed if they are found unhelpful to efforts to cement cross-strait relations.

    At least five Chinese media organizations, including Xinhua, People's Daily, China National Radio (CNR), China Central Television (CCTV) and China News Service (CNS) , have stationed journalists in Taiwan since the country first allowed Chinese news media organizations entry to Taiwan Nov. 10, 2000.

    All these arrangements have been on a trial basis, with each visit lasting for only two months in Taiwan.

(By Deborah Kuo)

ENDITEM/J