Nov. 10, 2002

"Beijing is working hard to prevent the news we report from getting through to the Chinese people" says Joan Mower, communications coordinator for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the agency that oversees Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA).

Speaking before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on December 9, she reported that the Chinese government jams not only VOA and RFA broadcasts but blocks access to their websites as well.

"By controlling outside media, the Chinese government has manipulated the news and stopped the United States from telling its side of the story," Mower said.

A majority of Chinese people views the United States as their "number one enemy," she said, adding that they remain ill informed of U.S. policy, culture and society.

Mower called the Chinese government policies "unfair." She noted that the U.S. government allows over forty journalists from Chinese state media to operate freely in the United States and gives the Chinese state media access to American cable television. In contrast, the Chinese government allows only two U.S. correspondents to work in China for U.S. international broadcasting; other American journalists work under stringent restrictions.

VOA and RFA spend millions of dollars every year to broadcast into Asia, Mower said. Costs would be greatly reduced if the Chinese government did not jam the broadcasts, she said.

The BBG filed formal complaints to the International Telecommunications Union over these issues. According to Mower, the Chinese government has not responded favorably to BBG requests to formally discuss their concerns.

Mower said that only a "concerted strategy involving Congress and the Executive Branch" will solve this problem.