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

China-UK relations

Catherine Wong

Published: 6:00pm, 20 Aug 2021

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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”.

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.

“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.

During the phone call with Raab on Thursday, Wang criticised the “politicisation of sports” and said a boycott of the Beijing Games would harm athletes and be against the Olympic spirit.

“The Chinese side welcomes the outstanding performance of UK athletes in the Beijing Winter Olympics and is willing to work with all countries in hosting a streamlined, safe and wonderful Winter Olympics,” he said.

A report by the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, released last month, suggested that the British government boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics politically “by not participating in the opening or closing ceremonies; strongly discouraging UK businesses from sponsoring or advertising at the Olympics; encouraging fans and tourists to stay away”, unless China allowed the United Nations to conduct an on-the-ground investigation into what it called “systematic persecution” of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang.

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The British report came after a non-binding resolution for European Union diplomats to boycott the Games.

In the United States last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers called on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the 2022 Games and relocate it.

Wang said that there were some positive signs for China-Britain ties recently after a low ebb, and that China agreed with a remark by Raab that cooperation rather than divergence should define the relationship, according to Xinhua.

Raab had indicated previously that it was unlikely he would attend the 2022 Games. He said there was great sensitivity around the situation in Xinjiang and suggested the British government could reduce its political representation – a move that would affect officials rather than athletes.

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Wang called for Britain to “respect the development path and core concerns” of China, and again urged a rejection of “politicisation of origin tracing” after the World Health Organization called for a follow-up to this year’s probe in China into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Raab as saying that sport and pandemic cooperation should not be politicised, and that his country would decide independently about the participation of British athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Britain has not released a statement on the Raab-Wang meeting. Raab said on Twitter only that they had discussed the situation in Afghanistan.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: State-run CGTN back on air in Britain