The Washington Post once again published Chinese propaganda Wednesday, a day after North Korea launched another intercontinental ballistic missile. The “news” China paid to insert in WaPo did not mention the launch.
China Watch, a Chinese-funded publication that pays for newspaper-like inserts in WaPo, has repeatedly ignored major Chinese news to paint a rosy picture of Beijing’s relations with Washington. The supplement doesn’t indicate its deadline.
The insert identifies itself as “an advertising supplement to The Washington Post” that is “prepared by China Daily, People’s Republic of China.” The insert also states the publication “did not involve the news or editorial departments of The Washington Post.”
The Chinese propaganda regularly appears in WaPo, and the Russian government also pays for a similar arrangement. Both China Watch and Russia Beyond The Headlines have also been published in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. (RELATED: Chinese, Russian Propaganda Lurking In Mainstream Media)
The Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but spokeswoman Kris Coratti previously told The Daily Caller News Foundation the insert is clearly labeled as an advertising supplement, and that the paper has run them regularly for years. She declined to disclose how much the Chinese government paid WaPo in her previous comments.
Only one article in the supplement — titled “Sino-U.S. Ties At ‘New Historic Starting Point'” — discussed China’s position on North Korea, but didn’t include details beyond saying that Beijing was dedicated to pressuring Pyongyang on its nuclear activities and refuses to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear weapons-possessing country.
The ICBM North Korea claims it tested could have a range of more than 8,100 miles and could strike anywhere in the U.S.
Meanwhile, WaPo published a news story Wednesday titled “North Korea Missile Test Fresh Challenge For Trump’s Relationship With China,” which included an earlier quote from President Donald Trump saying Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to put economic pressure on Pyongyang.
Other articles in Wednesday’s China Watch include one titled “Vanishing Taboos Give Condoms A Sexy Twist” and another listing U.S. governors hailing “strong bonds with China.”
The Post also hosts a website for China Watch that is not clearly labeled as an advertising supplement and does not disclose that the Chinese government pays for the publication.
China Watch could not be reached for comment.
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