US Designates Four More Chinese Propaganda Outlets Including Global Times, People's Daily As Foreign Missions

The United States on Monday (22 June) designated four more Chinese propaganda outlets "disguised as news agencies" as foreign missions, saying that they were the mouthpieces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The designation would affect the China Central Television (CCTV), the China News Service (CNS), the People's Daily and the Global Times.

“The Communist Party does not just exercise operational control over these propaganda entities, but it has full editorial control over their content,” said Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell, reports Hindustan Times.

"Over the past decade and particularly under General Secretary Xi Jinping’s tenure, the CCP has reorganized China’s state propaganda outlets disguised as news agencies and asserted even more direct control over them," US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

"While Western media are beholden to the truth, PRC media are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party," the statement added.

"Pursuant to authorities under the Foreign Missions Act, the State Department is issuing today a new determination that designates the U.S. operations of China Central Television, China News Service, the People’s Daily, and the Global Times as foreign missions," the statement said.

Earlier on 18 February, the US State Department had designated Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA.

The State Department said that these nine entities all meet the definition of a foreign mission under the Foreign Missions Act, which is to say that they are “substantially owned or effectively controlled” by a foreign government.

It added that the decision is not based on any content produced by these entities, nor does it place any restrictions on what the designated entities may publish in the United States. However, the designation merely recognizes these outlets for what they are, the State Department said.

Entities designated as foreign missions must adhere to certain administrative requirements that also apply to foreign embassies and consulates in the United States.

"This designation recognizes PRC propaganda outlets as foreign missions and increases transparency relating to the CCP and PRC government’s media activities in the United States," the statement added.