“No, Minister!” British MPs Rebel over World Service Cuts

Helle Dale / April 22, 2011

While the Chinese government is investing $7 billion in a new global media push and Chinese television is opening up new offices in Times Square in London, the decision of the British and American governments to make drastic cuts to their international broadcasting systems, including broadcasting to China, has caused dismay and consternation among Chinese audiences.

On the other hand, it is no wonder that the Chinese People’s Congress has interpreted the Western media retreat as a major victory in the intense global competition for soft power influence. How else can it be interpreted?

But not so fast. That is the message of a new report released on April 13 by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament, “Implications of Cuts to the BBC World Service,” which calls for a reversal of crippling cuts to the BBC World Service imposed by the Tory government.

One result of the cuts has been the recent end to BBC shortwave broadcasting not just to China but to Russia as well, after 70 years on the airwaves. All of this has been causing quite an uproar in the Houses of Parliament. (more…)