Foreign Journalists Unwelcome At New Leadership Unveiling

Media Release: China
November 16, 2012

Foreign Journalists Unwelcome At Unveiling Of China’s New Leadership

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned by the exclusion of foreign journalists from the press conference to announce China’s new leadership.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC), many foreign journalists were denied the opportunity to attend yesterday’s conference of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau at which the new leadership of the Central Committee was unveiled.

In the statement, the FCCC said that while it understood that the conference venue did not have the capacity to accommodate all the foreign correspondents present, they were dismayed that many major news organizations including the New York Times and Bloomberg, were not invited or allowed to attend the event at all.

Concerns were raised that the exclusions were a direct result of recent articles published in the New York Times and Bloomberg about the finances of Chinese leaders and their families, including the new General Secretary Xi Jinping.

“We are greatly concerned that the exclusion of foreign correspondents from this important event is a form of retaliation for publishing stories about China’s leaders” said the IFJ Asia Pacific.

The IFJ urges the new General Secretary of Central Committee of Communist Party of China to ensure that media is allowed impartial access to cover stories of international and national interest and significance.

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific

ENDS

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