Chinese Pressure NZ Media

I recently posted on the exclusion of journalist Nick Wang from a function at Parliament for Chinese vice premier Zeng Peiyan.

I have heard many stories about local Chinese government supporters pressuring the NZ Chinese media, so I was not surprised, but grateful when Auckland's Triangle TV CEO, J W Blackman wrote this comment;

I am the Founder & CEO of Triaqngle Television in Auckland - we broadcast to Auckland and Wellington - Nick Wang provides a programme on Asian affairs to our Wellington station. It is our policy not to have any form of editorial control on programme providers who purchase time to air their views - rather we rely on the requirements of Broadcast Standards to ensure that appropriate broadcast is achieved.

In Auckland we broadcast a paid programme supplied by the Falungong movement.
A few years ago, I was rung by the Chinese Consul in Auckland expressing concern that we broadcast Falun Dafa/Falun Gong programmes in Auckland saying that it wasn't "helpful" and was embarrassing to the Chinese people here, and therefore it might be a good idea and helpful (I am not quite sure who to) if we were not to screen these shows.

I explained that we operated a Govt owned frequency under a policy of open access with no editorial influence unless the programme might conflict with BSA etc., and that we would not censor programming - I also pointed out that the Chinese Govt was fully entitled to provide programming that countered any claims or were totally entitled to complain to BSA if they felt we were contravening the standard.

The Consul was far from happy with this - and we heard no more - but it was noticeable that the programming we screened by mainland Chinese people dried up, and even screening CCTV4 and CCTV 9 became difficult.

A check on websites that are banned and blocked in China will show that Triangle TV's Auckland website is one of these. I have no doubt that this is as a result of our broadcast of Falungong programming and I am sure we will shortly find TTV Wellington website blocked as well!!

I have no doubt that Nick is capable of pushing the boundaries, and good on him for doing that but I am equally sure, based on my own experience of the Chinese officials, that he would indeed have been targeted. I am not sure that Dr Cullen and others would be aware of the way they Officials work.

J W Blackman

Thankyou for your insight.

There is little doubt in the local Chinese community, that Chinese government agents and allies keep a close eye on potential "troublemakers".

This issue needs to be confronted and brought out into the open.

I am happy to publish any more examples of this kind of behaviour by Beijing officials or sympathisers.

Maybe the MSM could even look into it. There is a big story here.