On February 8, Minister Ma Hui had a video meeting with the BBC’s Head of Newsgathering Jonathan Munro regarding the recent fake news by the BBC on the issues related to the pandemic and China’s Xinjiang. Minister Counsellor Zeng Rong and the BBC’s Head of Foreign News Andrew Roy were present.

Minister Ma pointed out that BBC’s recent relentless false reporting on the pandemic-related and Xinjiang-related issues constitutes groundless smearing against China’s national image and reeks of serious double standards and ideological bias. Such reporting runs counter to the ethics of objective, balanced and fair journalism that the BBC advertised. This has not only caused strong indignation among the Chinese people, but also damaged BBC’s own reputation.

Ma elaborated on China’s policy and stance on the related issues, urging the BBC to take concrete actions to fulfill its responsibility, adhere to the professional ethics of journalism, take China’s position seriously, stop fabricating and spreading disinformation, and abandon its ideological bias and double standards against China, so as to report on China in an objective, fair and balanced manner and win the trust of the Chinese people.