Why doesn't CNN fire Jack Cafferty for his anti-Chinese remark?
China strongly condemns CNN for insulting Chinese people
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2008-04-17 11:37
The Chinese Foreign Ministry lodged a solemn representation with the
Beijing office of Cable News Network (CNN) on Wednesday evening,
condemning the network as "without any professional reputation".
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao, who is also the
Director-General of the Ministry's Information Department, said that a
statement issued by CNN on Tuesday failed to apologize for its host
Jack Cafferty's remarks, which maliciously attacked the Chinese people
and seriously violated the professional ethics of journalism.
"CNN's ulterior motive to target the Chinese government and continue
to mislead public opinion as well as deceive the Chinese people will
never succeed", Liu said in a written statement issued late on
Wednesday, stressing that justice would be on the side of the Chinese
people.
Cafferty said in a TV show on April 9 that the Chinese products are
"junk" and the Chinese people "basically the same bunch of goons and
thugs they've been for the last 50 years".
Cafferty's remarks drew indignation from Chinese at home and abroad,
and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu demanded an apology
from CNN as well as Cafferty himself.
CNN then issued a statement on Tuesday saying "it was not Mr.
Cafferty's nor CNN's intent to cause offence to the Chinese people,
and CNN would apologize to anyone who has interpreted the comments in
this way". However, the network stated that Cafferty was offering his
"strongly held" opinion of the Chinese government, not China's
people.
"Journalistic professionals should abide by their ethics, and they
don't have the privilege to slander or rail at anybody or any
government", Liu said in the statement, noting that CNN's recent
re****ting programs completely went against the principles of being
objective and balanced that the network often claimed as its basic
standards for news coverage.
"We once again solemnly urge CNN and Cafferty to take back the vile
remarks and make a sincere apology to all Chinese people", Liu
stressed.
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