A Hong Kong-based media source recently revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is planning to invest 45 billion Yuan ($6.62 million) in international propaganda.
According to this media source, a week before the Chinese New Year, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting, and decided to assemble financial support, material resources and manpower to restore the standings of Chinese officials around the world, and to purchase overseas mainstream media in 2009.
The Hong Kong media source reported that the CCP plans to spend the 45 billion Yuan ($6.62 million) to strengthen the international influence of CCTV, the People’s Daily News and Xinhua News in order to improve its image. The CCP is also looking to follow the example of Arabic television station al Jazeera to form an international television program to broadcast 24-hour news.
Also, the South China Morning Post reported that mainland China media are hiring many foreign experts especially, those who speak English, to assist the Central government in their propaganda plan. This comes at a time when all other media in the world are reducing their workforce and cutting expenses.
Professor Yu Guoming, School of Journalism at Renmin University in China said, “This plan is generated by the CCP because of the protests during the Beijing Olympic torch relay in some overseas countries last year.”
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