US-China TV debate’s lack of flash panned on Chinese social media

Disappointed commenters flooded China’s social media on Thursday with complaints that the on-air debate between an American and a Chinese news anchor on the trade war was too “mild” and too “short” – and that the “rude” Fox Business host Trish Regan kept interrupting CGTN’s Liu Xin.

The debate between the anchors – both TV personalities in their home countries – was broadcast live on the American channel Fox Business on Wednesday night US time after a week of sparring between the duo on air and on Twitter.

Both were keen to defend their own administration’s stance, with China and the US locked in an escalating trade war – official talks stalled after a deal fell through unexpectedly earlier this month.

While details of the official discussions have been largely kept from the Chinese public, the live exchange was hotly anticipated in China, where it is rare to see local journalists taking part in foreign media programmes because of the country’s strict censorship and media controls.

Liu, one of the highest profile anchors at English language state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN), was therefore expected to give a rare glimpse into the latest view from Beijing on its stance in the ongoing trade conflict.

CGTN, the international arm of China’s state broadcaster CCTV, is regarded as a de facto mouthpiece for Chinese President Xi Jinping, while Fox is US President Donald Trump’s favourite network.

Although CGTN said it could not broadcast the debate live due to copyright issues, enthusiastic online commenters appear to have found a way to follow the debate as it was enthusiastically discussed on Chinese social media platforms. Chinese media also published opinion pieces with headlines like: “We support you, Liu Xin!”.

But instead of the expected on-air fireworks, the debate was a disappointment to many on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblogging platform.

“This is so mild, it is not a debate at all but just an American anchor interviewing a Chinese anchor … what was I watching?” read one post on Weibo right after the debate. Another commenter said, “There are no rebuttals, no discussion on statistics, and no conclusion. Liu Xin did not even ask Trish any questions.”

Watch Fox’s Trish Regan and CGTN’s Liu Xin trade blows in TV debate

“I was looking for links to see the live-stream debate so desperately and it basically ended in minutes and without sparks. [I] regret trying so hard,” another Weibo user said.

But China’s online community largely came to Liu’s defence in its discussion of the content of the debate, which touched on topics ranging from the trade war, to intellectual property rights, and China’s developing economic status. Liu was called “noble” and “knowledgeable” in the face of questioning by her American counterpart.

“Liu Xin’s English is so good. Would Trish be able to do the same in Chinese?” one commenter asked.

One Weibo comment received more than 500 “likes” within an hour of the debate finishing: “Liu Xin is a really good representative of China, so noble, dignified, knowledgeable and polite. Meanwhile, the American host is very much like the US: arrogant, rude, emotional and making accusations without grounds.”

Weibo’s hot search list on Thursday morning was topped by “Liu Xin was interrupted three times by Trish within 30 seconds” – a phrase that appeared in posts more than 44 million times within the hour after the debate.

“Only Americans do that, interrupting people in between their sentences is extremely rude everywhere else in the world,” one Weibo post said, referring to the most heated part of the exchange, which occurred at the start when Regan introduced her guest as a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

The two spoke over each other as Liu denied she was a party member and tried to clarify that she was speaking only on her own behalf.

Yet, there were also comments on Chinese social media defending Regan: “It was obvious that the satellite signal was not transmitting that well at first, therefore it seemed like she was cutting into Liu Xin’s sentences,” one person wrote.

“This is nothing compared to what is usually shown in debates in US media,” another said.

At a daily press briefing earlier this week, China’s foreign ministry had encouraged Chinese viewers to tune in and watch the debate, but it was not shown live on CGTN, which said it did not have the rights to do so.