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SCMP Reporter

Central government calls on US network to officially retract pundit's 'insulting' remarks
The central government yesterday  rejected an apology by CNN over remarks by one of its commentators, and demanded an official retraction of the 'insulting comments'.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the apology for comments by Jack Cafferty on the Situation Room programme on April 9 was  insincere.
'The statement issued by CNN on Tuesday not only failed to sincerely apologise for commentator Jack Cafferty's  remarks, but also spearheaded its attack on the Chinese government, attempting to incite the Chinese people against the government,' Xinhua quoted Ms Jiang as saying.
'We once again solemnly urge CNN to seriously deal with the matter, take back the vile remarks and make a sincere apology to all Chinese people.'
Liu Jianchao, also from the Foreign Ministry, summoned CNN's Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz for a dressing-down late on Wednesday.
'Those in the field of journalism should abide by their morals. They don't have the privilege to verbally abuse or slander other people or other governments,' Mr Liu said on the ministry's website.
Mr Liu said CNN had not only failed to apologise, but also directed an attack on the Chinese government in a bid to 'mislead public opinion' and 'deceive the Chinese people'.
The People's Daily, the Communist Party's mouthpiece, also joined  the attack yesterday, accusing CNN of engaging in 'verbal tyranny'.
On the show,  Cafferty slammed China for exporting unsafe products, which he called 'junk with lead paint', and  Beijing's massive  purchases of US securities.
'I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years,' he  said.
On Tuesday, CNN said Cafferty was offering his 'strongly held' opinion of the Chinese government, not China's people, and added that 'over many years, Jack Cafferty has expressed critical comments of many governments, including the US government and its leaders'.
A CNN Hong Kong spokeswoman said yesterday the organisation did not yet have an updated response.
CNN has been singled out by the  central government in a wave of criticism against 'biased western media' for their 'distorted' reports of unrest in Tibet  and other ethnically Tibetan regions last month, and the  Olympic torch relay, which protesters disrupted  in  London, Paris and San Francisco.
The resentment towards CNN and western media has gained momentum among ethnic Chinese - at home and overseas - who have vented their anger in cyberspace and  public protests.
More than 40  Chinese groups in the US have been involved in planning a demonstration in front of CNN's Los Angeles office tomorrow.
CNN should immediately give an open, official and sincere apology to the ethnic Chinese people, a letter urging people to join the protest said.
Some communities have called on  overseas Chinese to protest by each sending a  letter  to CNN's headquarters, and an online petition calling for a boycott of the network has collected more than 80,000 names.
A website criticising the broadcaster, anti-cnn.com, has been set up by a Tsinghua University graduate.
How the drama unfolded
Mar 17
CNN.com publishes photo of Lhasa riots that critics on mainland say was unfairly cropped, creating anti-China bias
Mar 30
Tsinghua University graduate sets up anti-cnn.com website to protest against news network
Apr 9
CNN commentator Jack Cafferty says Chinese are 'goons and thugs' and their products are 'junk'
Apr 15
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu demands apology from CNN over Cafferty's remarks
Apr 16
Ministry news department director Liu Jianchao meets CNN's Beijing head, asking for apology; CNN says Cafferty's comments were aimed at government, not Chinese people
Apr 17
People?s Daily runs commentary attacking Cafferty?s 'violent language'
SOURCE: SCMP ARCHIVES



Beijing rejects apology from CNN as insincere