China News Service

Template:Politics of China China News Service (CNS; Template:Zh) is the second largest state news agency in China, after Xinhua News Agency. China News Service was formerly run by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, which was absorbed into the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2018. Its operations have traditionally been directed at overseas Chinese worldwide and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

CNS was established in 1952 as a successor to the CCP's International News Agency.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":0" /> It has news offices and stations in every province in mainland China, as well as in Hong Kong and Macau. CNS also has news offices in foreign countries, including the United States, Japan, France, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> According to the Jamestown Foundation, CNS is "the CCP's main propaganda organ targeting overseas Chinese."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1990, CNS personnel were dispatched to the U.S. to found SinoVision and The China Press to counter negative perceptions of the Chinese government following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite book</ref>

Since 2001, CNS has held a biannual Global Chinese Language Media Forum in China (also known as World Chinese Language Media Forum), a large global summit of Chinese media leaders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, CNS established the China News Service Overseas Center, which provides news reports, editorials, and layout for overseas Chinese media outlets.<ref name=":02" /> In 2009, CNS established the Global Chinese Media Cooperative Union (GCMCU), which redistributes CNS and other Chinese state media content to other Chinese-language media outlets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6" /> In Europe, newspapers and outlets such as Nouvelles d’Europe in France, Cine in Italia in Italy, Ouhua News in Spain, the Prague Chinese Times in the Czech Republic, and EurAsia Info in Switzerland carry CNS content.<ref name=":6" />

In 2014, CNS published an editorial which derided outgoing American ambassador to China Gary Locke. The editorial was widely criticized both within China and internationally for referring to the Chinese American ambassador as a banana which was interpreted as a racial slur. The article also mocked his Mandarin Chinese abilities and said that his ancestors would disown him if they knew about his loyalties.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2017, a former editor-in-chief and Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of CNS until February 2015, Liu Beixian, was charged with taking bribes during the anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping and expelled from the CCP.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, CNS became part of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) when its host organization, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, was folded into the UFWD.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, a deputy head of the UFWD stated that "[a]s an important propaganda unit of the United Front, CNS must adhere to the concept of ‘newspapers run by politicians’ and thoroughly carry out political awareness work. CNS's important mission is to do good united front propaganda work within Overseas Chinese affairs."<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019, CNS began a campaign to increase its influence on overseas social media.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> According to NPR and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, CNS was involved in targeted disinformation and propaganda campaigns during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, CNS released a public tender to increase its Twitter followers.<ref name=":5" /> According to a 2020 investigation by ProPublica, CNS hired a third-party firm to create fake Twitter accounts to spread conspiracy theories and disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref>

In June 2020, the United States Department of State designated China News Service, along with other Chinese state media outlets, as a foreign mission.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, CNS repeated unsubstantiated Russian state media claims that the Bucha massacre was staged.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023, cybersecurity researchers found that CNS had established sock puppet accounts on Twitter for influence operations in Latin America.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Activities

Film and television production

During the early stages of CNS's establishment, a film team was created under Liao Chengzhi's guidance, led by Wu Jiang and others. From the 1950s onwards, numerous documentaries and operas, including "North and South of Taishan", "Heroes of Qilu", "Sisters Get Married Easily" and "The Pearl Pagoda", were produced and distributed in Hong Kong, Macau and overseas.<ref name=":92">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":102">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Primary source inline

In 1979, CNS's business departments underwent reconstruction. Following Liao Chengzhi's instruction to revive the agency's film work, a team of professionals from Beijing film production institutions were transferred by the agency's leadership to expand the film team into a dedicated department. This led to the establishment of the "Nanhai Film Company", with Wu Jiang as its chairman. In 1981, CNS produced its inaugural feature film, The Wilderness, under the banner of "Nanhai Film Company."<ref name=":92" /><ref name=":102" />Template:Primary source inline

Beginning with the film The Savage Land, the Film Department of the China News Agency (expanded to become the Film and Video Department in 1985) has since produced feature films and film documentaries, starring actors such as Liu Xiaoqing, Chen Baoguo, Pu Cunxin, Jiang Wen, and Ge You. The Department of Film Sound and Video has also worked with professionals from Changchun Film Studio, Beijing Film Studio and Shanghai Film Studio.<ref name=":92" />

Video

In April 2007, CNS officially released a television news release called "China News Video". In October 2007, CNS and Sina Corporation signed a strategic cooperation agreement, and "China News Video" debuted on Sina.<ref name=":112">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Primary source inline

In July 2010, CNS adjusted the business of its Film and Television Department and set up a new Video News Department, positioning video news as the "third channel news", and using China News Service website as the basic communication platform to promote video interviews, and launching a column called "Focus on Net Affairs". Since its establishment in 2010, the department has been involved in the coverage of major events such as the "Two Sessions", the 2010 Yushu earthquake, Expo 2010, the 2010 Gansu mudslide, the 2010 Asian Games, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.<ref name=":112" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Primary source inline

Publications

CNS publishes China Newsweek, Fengya and World Chinese Media Yearbook in China, and China Digest (monthly) in Hong Kong, and runs the Hong Kong China News Press.<ref name=":722">Template:Cite news</ref>

Affiliates

CNS controls the Chinese New Zealand Herald, which is co-owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment.<ref name=":1" />

Notable employees

The past presidents and editors-in-chief of China News Service are as follows:

President or director

• Template:Ill (December 1952-January 1969)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Ill (February 2000 - February 2007)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Guo Zhaojin (郭招金) (February 2007-March 2009)<ref name="郭招金、刘北宪出任中国新闻社社长和总编辑">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Liu Beixian (Template:Ill) (March 2009 - 5 February 2015)<ref name="lbx">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Zhang Xinxin (章新新) (February 6, 2015 - November 7, 2019)<ref name="kba">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Chen Lujun（陈陆军）(November 8, 2019─)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Editor-in-chief

• Liu Beixian (Template:Ill) (February 2007 - March 2009)<ref name="郭招金、刘北宪出任中国新闻社社长和总编辑"/>
• Zhang Xinxin (章新新) (March 2009 - February 2015)<ref name=kba/>
• Wang Xiaohui (王晓晖) (March 2015—)<ref name="kkl">Template:Cite web</ref>

Commentary

According to scholars Filip Jirouš and Petra Ševčíková, "CNS's activity lies at the symbiotic intersection of propaganda and united front work." They state that such a symbiosis helps the CCP to shape the "information landscape" to better serve the party's policy goals.<ref name=":6" />

See also

• Chinese information operations and information warfare
• Mass media in China
• China Internet Information Center

External links

• Template:Official website Template:In lang