CNS was established in 1952 as a successor to the CCP's International News Agency.[5][1] It has news offices and stations in every province in mainland China, as well as in Hong Kong and Macau. CNS also has news offices in foreign countries, including the United States, Japan, France, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia.[6][7] According to the Jamestown Foundation, CNS is "the CCP's main propaganda organ targeting overseas Chinese."[8]
Since 2001, CNS has held a biannual Global Chinese Language Media Forum in China (also known as World Chinese Language Media Forum), a large global summit of Chinese media leaders.[9][10] In 2007, CNS established the China News Service Overseas Center, which provides news reports, editorials, and layout for overseas Chinese media outlets.[5] In 2009, CNS established the Global Chinese Media Cooperative Union (GCMCU), which redistributes CNS and other Chinese state media content to other Chinese-language media outlets.[11][12] In Europe, newspapers and outlets such as Nouvelles d’Europe in France, Cine in Italia in Italy, Ouhua News in Spain, the Prague Chinese Times in the Czech Republic, and EurAsia Info in Switzerland carry CNS content.[12]
In 2014, CNS published an editorial which derided outgoing American ambassador to China Gary Locke. The editorial was widely criticized both within China and internationally for referring to the Chinese American ambassador as a banana which was interpreted as a racial slur. The article also mocked his Mandarin Chinese abilities and said that his ancestors would disown him if they knew about his loyalties.[13][14]
In 2018, CNS became part of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) when its host organization, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, was folded into the UFWD.[17] The same year, a deputy head of the UFWD stated that "[a]s an important propaganda unit of the United Front, CNS must adhere to the concept of ‘newspapers run by politicians’ and thoroughly carry out political awareness work. CNS's important mission is to do good united front propaganda work within Overseas Chinese affairs."[12]
During the early stages of CNS's establishment, a film team was created under Liao Chengzhi's guidance, led by Wu Jiang and others. From the 1950s onwards, numerous documentaries and operas, including "North and South of Taishan", "Heroes of Qilu", "Sisters Get Married Easily" and "The Pearl Pagoda", were produced and distributed in Hong Kong, Macau and overseas.[28][29][non-primary source needed]
In 1979, CNS's business departments underwent reconstruction. Following Liao Chengzhi's instruction to revive the agency's film work, a team of professionals from Beijing film production institutions were transferred by the agency's leadership to expand the film team into a dedicated department. This led to the establishment of the "Nanhai Film Company", with Wu Jiang as its chairman. In 1981, CNS produced its inaugural feature film, The Wilderness, under the banner of "Nanhai Film Company."[28][29][non-primary source needed]
Beginning with the film The Savage Land, the Film Department of the China News Agency (expanded to become the Film and Video Department in 1985) has since produced feature films and film documentaries, starring actors such as Liu Xiaoqing, Chen Baoguo, Pu Cunxin, Jiang Wen, and Ge You. The Department of Film Sound and Video has also worked with professionals from Changchun Film Studio, Beijing Film Studio and Shanghai Film Studio.[28]
Video
In April 2007, CNS officially released a television news release called "China News Video". In October 2007, CNS and Sina Corporation signed a strategic cooperation agreement, and "China News Video" debuted on Sina.[30][non-primary source needed]
In July 2010, CNS adjusted the business of its Film and Television Department and set up a new Video News Department, positioning video news as the "third channel news", and using China News Service website as the basic communication platform to promote video interviews, and launching a column called "Focus on Net Affairs". Since its establishment in 2010, the department has been involved in the coverage of major events such as the "Two Sessions", the 2010 Yushu earthquake, Expo 2010, the 2010 Gansu mudslide, the 2010 Asian Games, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.[30][31][non-primary source needed]
Publications
CNS publishes China Newsweek, Fengya and World Chinese Media Yearbook in China, and China Digest (monthly) in Hong Kong, and runs the Hong Kong China News Press.[32]
According to scholars Filip Jirouš and Petra Ševčíková, "CNS's activity lies at the symbiotic intersection of propaganda and united front work." They state that such a symbiosis helps the CCP to shape the "information landscape" to better serve the party's policy goals.[12]
^"中国新闻社原党委书记、社长刘北宪被开除党籍_凤凰资讯" [Liu Beixian, former Party Secretary and President of China News Service, was expelled from the Party]. Phoenix Television (in Chinese). 2017-11-13. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
^ abWood, Daniel; McMinn, Sean; Feng, Emily (September 17, 2019). "China Used Twitter To Disrupt Hong Kong Protests, But Efforts Began Years Earlier". NPR. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2023. Documents show that Chinese government agencies pay to acquire more social media followers. A tender posted on Aug. 16 by Chinese state-run outlet China News offers 1.25 million yuan ($176,900) to acquire more Twitter followers.
^ ab谢华基. 我在中新社原电影声像部工作的一些回忆. 中国新闻网. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2023-12-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^中国新闻社简介. 中国新闻网. 2007-08-23. Archived from the original on 2023-12-16. Retrieved 2023-12-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
.jpg)
.svg)
_cap_insignia.svg){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
