China summons UK ambassador for an article that is “irrelevant”

Madrid, 10 Mar. (Europa Press) –

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned UK Ambassador to the United States Caroline Wilson to publish an article critical of Beijing’s policy on the international media, which the government has branded “inappropriate”.

According to a report released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, compiled by the Global Times, the ambassador’s writing was “partly arrogant and full of ideological prejudices” and was inconsistent with the diplomatic image.

In an article published on the embassy’s official Wechat social networking site, Wilson “protected foreign media from being allowed to publish false news,” Chinese officials said. The ambassador defended the work of the international media in the Asian country and promised that their conduct would be “independent” of the nation without any discrimination.

The Foreign Ministry pointed out that “the Chinese government and people have never opposed the foreign press, but the media which has created false news and brutally attacked China (…) under the banner of press freedom and freedom of expression.”

Following the Beijing call, Wilson continued to “agree” with his article on his Twitter account. Relations between London and Beijing in the media have escalated after the United Kingdom withdrew its broadcasting license for Chinese television CGDN and China did the same with the BBC’s international channel.