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China-UK relations
ChinaDiplomacy

CGTN says it’s back on air in Britain, China’s foreign minister hails relations with UK

  • China Global Television Network had its broadcast licence in Britain revoked in February but says its resumption is good news for cultural exchange
  • Foreign Minister Wang Yi asks counterpart Dominic Raab to resist calls to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics as the pair share phone call

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A boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has been mooted over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Photo: Reuters
Catherine Wong
The Chinese state-backed news channel China Global Television Network says it resumed broadcasting in Britain on Friday, a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his British counterpart Dominic Raab in a phone call that Sino-British relations, which had hit a low point, were now showing “positive signs”.
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Wang also called on Britain to resist growing calls to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The British royal family and ministers have been urged by British lawmakers to boycott the Games over allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang in western China.
Relations between London and Beijing have also been strained over Hong Kong. Beijing was dismayed by Britain’s offer of a citizenship pathway for Hong Kong BN (O) passport holders, and its assertions that Beijing was undermining the city’s autonomy.

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A spokesperson for CGTN said the network was back on air and that its broadcast was in the interest of the British public, enabling the exchange of information, culture and mutual trust between the two countries.

The British regulator revoked the broadcasting licence for CGTN in February after finding it violated political ownership rules.

CGTN “appreciates the cooperative attitude of the British institutions involved and is willing to make further efforts to promote understanding between China and the UK”, the statement said.

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“CGTN will continue to uphold the principle of objective, rational and balanced reporting. and continue to respect and abide by local laws.”

The subject of CGTN did not come up in discussions between Wang and Raab, according to the Chinese foreign ministry readout.

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