German broadcaster suspends Chinese worker
Source: China Daily
A Chinese woman working at Germany’s DW-Radio has been suspended from her job following remarks she made in the media on human rights and other issues in China, the German press has reported.
Four days before the opening of the Beijing Olympics, Zhang Danhong, an editor with the German broadcaster’s Chinese program, reportedly said that “The Communist Party of China has more than any political force in the world implemented Article 3 of the Declaration of Human Rights”, referring to the Chinese authorities pulling more than 400 million people out of poverty.
Similarly, in a TV talk show in late July, Zhang reportedly said the Chinese government had done a lot to protect local culture in Tibet and criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for sapping relations with Beijing.
The German media is said to have reacted strongly to Zhang’s remarks.
On Aug 11, German magazine Focus attacked Zhang as someone who was “courting” China’s Communist Party. On Aug 20, the Berliner Zeitung newspaper quoted parliamentary representative Dieter Wiefelsputz as saying that Zhang’s performance was a “catastrophe”.
Two days later, the same newspaper confirmed Zhang’s suspension from work.
Zhang, 42, was born in Beijing, studied German in Peking University and in Cologne, Germany.
She became an editor of DW-Radio’s Chinese program in 1990 and was promoted deputy editorial director of the program in 2004, the broadcaster’s website read.
Many in China have voiced sympathy and concern for Zhang after the incident.
“The case proves that those who chant human rights and freedom of speech everyday in the West are so hypocritical,” a Chinese netizen wrote on major Chinese portal, Sina.com.
“The Cold War mentality, ideological biases, political prejudice, and sense of racial superiority these things are deeply rooted in some parts of the Western world. Luckily, China is not bothered by these,” wrote another netizen.
“I have noticed related information and I have read the reports Zhang had done,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday.
“We hold that the media should report under an objective and just principle.”
Zhang and DW-Radio were not available for comment at press time.
If the story is true as it is, and if Ms. Zhang is not working for the Chinese government, but a journalist employed by Germany’s DW-Radio, this news deserves bigger attention and broader discussion in the mainstream Western media. How comes bashing China, however groundless, is always welcomed by the mainstream Western media, while praising China, regardless completely true or not, is considered wrong doing to begin with? Does this showcase the double standard within the mainstream Western media systems?
YZ
1 Sep 08 at 9:53 pm
This is a true story. You can google her name Zhang Danhong and will find her original program at DW. She specializes in China news but this does not make her a spy or working for Chinese government. Nobody employed by the Chinese government would be stupid enough to come out speaking favorably towards China. They would not want to reveal the identity.
This is not the first case in Germany. Another person (a German origin) was suspened by another new agency in Germany for the same reason. I forgot his name but he got suspended because he agreed to participate in torch relay as a private individual. This was reported in German media.
Jane
2 Sep 08 at 12:49 pm
I mady a typo: A news agency not a new agency.
Jane
2 Sep 08 at 12:50 pm
http://www.centurychina.com/plaboard/posts/3815537.shtml
Jane
2 Sep 08 at 12:53 pm
This is an outrage. Unfortuately there is no voice to defend her. The free press in the West does not even report it. So much for the human rights and free speech.
Cathy
2 Sep 08 at 2:19 pm
Why is she hired in the first place? Isn´t it because of her Chinese background and knowledge? Why is Germany afraid of hearing a differnt voice - a positive voice about China. Is it possible that they want to see China fail?
MD
2 Sep 08 at 2:35 pm
Thank you, Jane, for confirming it, and for sharing another case like this. Is there a way we can get media’s attention on this? Perhaps put Danhong’s picture to one of the iPhone assembled in China?
On a positive note, I thought NBA did a better job this time in reporting the positive side of China during Beijing Olympic game. I recall myself writing to NBC complaining Bob Costas’ groundless negative comments toward China and Chinese athletes in one of the Olympic games in the past (forgot which year).
YZ
2 Sep 08 at 2:51 pm
I meant NBC when I said BNA…
YZ
2 Sep 08 at 2:56 pm
I just posted this article to current.com
http://current.com/items/89261891_german_broadcaster_suspends_chinese_worker_for_her_pro_china_remarks
YZ
2 Sep 08 at 3:55 pm
Her name immediately caught my attention. I sort of know her through 2 of my very close friends. She had studied German since she was in Elementary school. She was considered the top student throughout her schooling years. I am proud of her for speaking out. Agreeing with her on issues or not should not be the qualifier for a ridiculou label “courting” the Chinese government. Living abroad myself has given me the first hand experience of knowing how biased some of the western people and media are. “Cold War” mentalily can still be smelled around from time to time. Giving credits to the Chinese government is just as fair as pointing out the problems with the government. Tibetian issue has been so much manipulated by the western media and the Dalai group. What a shame that this happens in a country that labels itself for freedom of speech and democracy.
yx
2 Sep 08 at 5:41 pm
This is an outrage. Does anyone have a suggestion how to send this to the main stream media? Send to as many friends as possible. We need to let this come out.
Richard
2 Sep 08 at 7:05 pm
Chinese are cheaters and deserve to be punished. She has been brainwashed since childhood, how can she report anything with balance? She shall go back to China and see how long it would take her to go to jail for speaking her mind.
Love Tibet
2 Sep 08 at 7:48 pm
nice hate speech there love tibet, why dont u pander that uneducated and ignorant crap to the mainstream media where they will gobble it up like a fat kid gobble cookies and leave intelligent discussion to the rest of us
Shugden
2 Sep 08 at 9:35 pm
Kudos to Zhang Danhong for expressing her own intelligent opinions and facts about which most of the Western media is not educated! Other Third World countries, as well as those with “soft socialism” or mixed economies, have different histories and perspectives with which to view China’s accomplishments and challenges. In polite and subtle Eastern culture,
suffice to say, China has its own unique history, culture and conditions with which to reconstruct and build a modern society to feed and care for a huge population. Anyone remember a British general named Charles Gordon who burned down the Summer Palace and what happened to him in Sudan?
Lianhua
3 Sep 08 at 12:49 am
This shows that Germany is partnering in attitude with dubious forces in the U.S. media, scary!
Virginia
3 Sep 08 at 5:40 pm
What Ms zhang said may or may not be true. Take the assertion “the CCP has protected human rights by lifting people out of poverty”. This is tru or flase depending on your definition of human rights. The german chancellor definantly did sap relations with china though, but im going to need more details about “the Chinese government had done a lot to protect local culture in Tibet” before i make a judgment on it, though i will say right now that both sides will both have merit.
THe big deal however, isnt about the questionable ground those statements are based on, the big deal is about the double standard that the western media is setting. Western media have made statements much more dubiouse than that, way more often, but those reporters dont get fired for biased reporting and shaky facts.
THen she is acused of “courting the chinese government”. When a reporter bashes china, is he/she “courting the german or american government”?? this acusation is simply ridiculouse.
Tebet Lover: THe chinese government has greater censorship powers than the west, however, the chinese government does not pretend to be free, unbiased, and all jolly. THe western media on the otherhand, is supose to stand up for ideals of good jounalism, clear eye-ness, fairness. THe western media does not live up to those ideals, but still demands that their opponents do. THere is a double standard at work.
Nor does the western media does not have the means to censor people like china does, but the western media is clearly useing all the means they have in order to silence the people they disagree with. Even if Ms zhang had used utmost care to stick with those principles, she still most likely have been fired.
which is why your comment makes no sense. in the words of shugden “why dont u pander that uneducated and ignorant crap to the mainstream media where they will gobble it up like a fat kid gobble cookies and leave intelligent discussion to the rest of us”
questionist
3 Sep 08 at 8:38 pm
I don’t know whether any human rights activists in Hollywood know the taste of hunger. They shall try to starve a few days and write down what comes on their mind first: whether bread and butter or election and votes.
Chinese people that I know are grateful for their full stomach these days. The Chinese people I talk to don’t want to give up rice and nutrition in exchange of voting rights and living in the slums in India. This is not racism. It is fact. Poverty level is much higher in India but everyone can vote there.
Mark A.
5 Sep 08 at 12:07 am