China rejects CPJ report about detaining the highest number of journalists

A Chinese official has rejected the report presented by the US-based media watchdog report by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The report states that 48 journalists have been imprisonment in the Chinese jail in 2019, which accounts for more journalists than any other country. However, China has not taken any reponsibity for the detentions. 

READ: China Spent Billions On Soft Power In Asia Yet Can't Stop Sinophobia: Study

Increase in the number of journalists detained by China 

According to the CPJ report on China's harassment of journalists, it said that China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt are the "world's worst jailers of journalists". The report further read that, “At least 47 journalists were jailed in China at the time of CPJ's 2018 prison census". However, the investigator faced some difficulties in verifying the information. The reason for this is as authorities deliberately prevented information from getting out. The report further said, "The highest number of journalists imprisoned in any year since CPJ began keeping track is 273 in 2016. After China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, the worst jailers are Eritrea, Vietnam, and Iran."

READ: China Hints At Trials For Two Detained Canadians On National Security Charges

According to reports, that statistics reveal that several journalists went to cover the abuse being suffered by the Muslim ethnic groups in the detention camps of Xinjiang province, were later arrested. The journalists were taken into custody on the bases of performing journalist activity in the region. Hua Chunying, who is the spokeswoman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said gave her response on the report saying that, “I have no information on the figure. In China, a country with rule of law no one is above the law. Anyone breaking the law must be prosecuted no matter whoever he or she is. If you are looking at 48 people, if they are in existence you should look at whether they have violated the law." 

According to the report, there was a steady increase in the number of journalists who were detained during the governance of President Xi Jinping who has established his political control over the country and imposed strict rules for the media. 

READ: China Space Station Releases 3-D Images Captured By Gaofen-7

READ: PM Modi, President Xi Jinping Encourage People-to-people Contact To Boost India-China Ties

(With inputs from Agencies)