NGOs Call on the Trump Admin: Do Not Close Off Chinese Access to Global Info.

Posted on 2025-03-21 by wrchina

Women’s Rights in China(WRIC)

Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB)

Visual Artists Guild (VAG)

3-19-2025

President Trump has signed an executive order to revoke and drastically reduce the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and its affiliated media organizations, including Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Marti (broadcasting to Cuba), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), which include broadcasts in Tibetan, Uyghur, and 48 other languages worldwide. We believe this will deeply shock and frustrate at least 500 million listeners around the world who lack freedom of speech. It means that the rare window through which they seek to understand the outside world and be understood by it will be closed. NGOs Women’s Rights in China (WRIC) and Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB) strongly urge President Trump to reconsider the decision to revoke USAGM. USAGM plays a crucial role in our country and the world. This soft power of international media is highly effective in countering propaganda in China and Hong Kong, where freedom of speech is suppressed.

Government-funded international medias, through the news, interviews, music, and educational programs, bring hope to countless people seeking freedom. Journalists thus become targets of dictators, with some frontline reporters being humiliated and detained during interviews. The awakening of generations of Chinese people over the past half-century owes much to VOA and RFA.

We understand that the agency has issues that need addressing. However, USAGM’s commitment through its soft diplomacy is also crucial to international human rights and U.S. leadership. The careers of dedicated journalists who risk their lives should not end here.

Dismantling these organizations not only harms American values but also ignores the urgent need of hundreds of millions of people worldwide for alternative media services like RFA, OCB (Radio Marti), RFE/RL, MBN, and OTF (Open Technology Fund). Without RFA’s critical role in translation services, the world would have even greater difficulty understanding the suffering of millions of Uyghur people in a timely manner. Especially as the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship aggressively expands its global propaganda apparatus, cutting these media outlets is detrimental to U.S. national interests. It is like handing a gift to America’s enemies or dictators.

Senior Beijing journalist Gao Yu, who has long been under surveillance, said upon learning that over a thousand VOA journalists were ordered to stop working, “The thought that VOA’s Chinese website won’t be updated the next day is more than just regret; it’s heartbreaking.” She posted on X on March 16, “This American action is like self-strangulation, giving way to Chinese state media and its external propaganda. For the vast majority of Chinese listeners who watch VOA over the Great Firewall, this is tantamount to building an impenetrable frozen wall in front of them.”

Renowned Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang said, “It’s very regrettable. Since 1989, listening to the Chinese programs of overseas media like VOA has become my habit. Back then, there was no internet or mobile phones; we bought shortwave radios to listen to ‘enemy stations’ because freedom of the press is crucial…”

Ms. Chen, a WRIC volunteer in Yunnan, China, said, “It’s unbelievable. After all, VOA and RFA are the most convenient media for directly conveying our voices to the international community and governments. Especially in countries without freedom of speech, we desperately lack honest media to tell us the true outside world.”

In stark contrast, the propaganda machines of the Chinese Communist Party’s external propaganda apparatus immediately rejoiced, saying, “VOA, you’ve met your day!”…

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is using state power to launch a massive “Telling China’s story well” propaganda offensive in democratic countries like the U.S. Xinhua News Agency’s overseas social media editorial department (Hai Mei Shi 海媒室) is using deep media integration with various overseas forces to aggressively promote the CCP’s international influence, aiming to dominate as a powerful, new, all-encompassing international media. In 2023, “Hai Mei Shi” was awarded the “National Pioneer Worker” honorary title by the CCP. The CCP also uses foreign propagandists and AI to spread rumors and sow discord on online social platforms, and employs infiltration and transnational repression to lure, induce, threaten, and intimidate politicians and Chinese dissidents in Western democratic countries.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2024 World Press Freedom Index ranks China 172nd out of 180 countries and regions, making it one of the least free countries for press freedom in the world. Hong Kong ranked 70th in 2018, but in the four years since the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020, Hong Kong’s Press Freedom Index has plummeted to 135th.

China remains the world’s largest jailer of journalists, currently detaining 119 journalists, including 10 from Hong Kong. Since 2019, dozens of Hong Kong’s free media outlets and pro-democracy groups have been forced to close.

In conclusion, we strongly urge the Trump administration to carefully consider the disposition of media outlets like VOA. They are one of America’s active and advantageous soft power tools. The U.S. needs to use this soft power to undermine and divide hostile forces, and to allow the people of dictatorial countries to hear the American voice, see the world beyond the firewall, and understand the values of human rights, democracy, and freedom. Only then can America’s core values be promoted, and America remain invincible.

Ye Bing, a Beijing-based reporter for Voice of America (VOA) Chinese, and his assistant Allen were detained by Chinese police in 2018 when they visited retired professor Sun Wenguang in Jinan city Shandong China. VOA reporter Ye Bing visited China during the two sessions in 2018. (VOA data)

The picture is from the CCP party media “Qizhi Net” (旗幟網).

CUSIB Statement for Roundtable Discussion with Members of US Congress

Posted on 2023-02-26 by wrchina

Ann Noonan 02-25-2023 ( New York, NY）

As the Executive Director of the Committee for US International Broadcasting, I would like to thank Members of Congress for participating in today’s round table discussion at Columbia University. Our nonpartisan, not for profit organization supports media freedom and journalists who work in areas of the world that restrict or deny media freedom.

USAGM, formerly known as BBG, serves an important role in our nation and our world. The soft power of international media that USAGM has can be extremely effective in China and Hong Kong and needs your immediate help.

This sleepy federal agency, which falls under your oversight, needs help ensuring the replacement of staff in Voice of America Cantonese, Tibetan and Mandarin Services. When people retire or leave their jobs, their vacancies take too long to fill. This is partially due to shift in necessary employment background searches that now take place in the President’s Office of Personnel.

Radio Free Asia and Voice of America serve two different purposes. RFA helps to report news from nations such as China and Hong Kong that don’t allow media freedom. VOA’s purpose is to share news from America and promote our values and goals. These are vital sources of soft power.

CUSIB respectfully implores you, Members of Congress, to prevent budgetary cuts in these VOA Mandarin, Tibetan and Cantonese Services, as well as prevent cuts in Radio Free Asia’s budget.

We implore you to require short-wave radio, medium-wave radio, and television services in these agencies to remain active. Please don’t let the bureaucrats eliminate these services. Poor people throughout the world cannot all afford cell phones or computers. Radio frequencies are harder to interfere with and radio listeners can’t be tracked and monitored as easily as internet users.

Finally, we have been advised by reputable sources that both VOA China Service and RFA have been effectively pressured by China’s government to censor and regulate news. This needs your prompt investigation. CUSIB’s suggestions to support Radio Free Asia and Voice of America will go a long way to counter and contrast the effort China is attempting on US college campuses.

Thank you.

Ann Noonan is the executive director of the Committee for US International Broadcasting. Contact info: annnoonan@hotmail.com

“Stones of Tiananmen” Review

Posted on 2014-08-04 by wrchina

Source： WRIC 07-29-2014

On July 28, 2014, a full-length play, “Stones of Tiananmen” was stage read for the first time at the HBO building in NYC. Written by Cynthia L Cooper and directed by Peggy Howard Chane, the play features the stories of China’s jailed Nobel Peace Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, his wife Liu Xia, “Mothers of Tiananmen” leader Professor Ding Zilin, and her husband Jiang Peiken, and their struggle against injustice in the Chinese government decades after the Tiananmen Massacre.

Part of the audience attending the rehearsal. (photo by WRIC)

Back row: from left to right, director of CUSIB member Ann Noonan and her husband and fellow CUSIB member Mr.Justin Yu also attended the Stones of Tiananmen.

Women’s Rights in China (WRIC) founder/director, Jing Zhang went to see the play performed and this was her reaction: “I went to see the play not knowing what to expect. However, as soon as it started, I was surprised by how genuine and authentic the actors sounded. Their voices were so full of emotion that if I closed my eyes, I couldn’t believe this was an act. The “Stones of Tiananmen” was so engaging and when I actually turned around to look at other people’s reactions I knew they felt the same. People in the audience were laughing and crying.”

“The play really reflects the political reality in China,” Jing explained. “The authoritarian government’s psychological torture of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia etc. indicates their hostility and fear towards democracy and freedom. It is a huge irony that an economic giant like China continues to detain a Nobel Peace Laureate.”

“From the Democracy Wall in 1979, to the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, so many people have sacrificed their lives, lost their freedom,” Jing said. “Until today, the Tiananmen Mothers who have lost their children or husbands still cannot publicly mourn for their dead family. Gao Yu, a conscientious reporter who was a friend of Liu Xiaobo and Ding Zilin, fighting alongside them, was put into jail many times after the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. In April this year, she was arrested as she exercised her freedom of speech, and hasn’t been released since. These fighters are the “Stones of Tiananmen”; their lives and freedom became stones, constructing a path for China towards democracy and freedom.” Jing thanked playwright C.L. Cooper and director Peggy Chane for recording this piece of history. It lets more people understand the huge costs that the modern Chinese have to pay when fighting for democracy and freedom.

The reading ended after 2 hours, and the audience applauded with excitement. Afterwards, WRIC founder Jing Zhang and USBIC Executive Director Ann Noonan exchanged opinions with the playwright and director.

Playwright C.L. Cooper is an author and investigative journalist who has written numerous novels, plays and articles about social justice and human rights, exposing corruption in both the American government and now, the Chinese. Peggy Howard Chane has directed and produced numerous works in television and previously directed a score of plays.

At the end of the play, the audience stands up and applauds for the playwright, director and actors.(photo by WRIC)

A group photo of WRIC founder Jing Zhang, USBIC Executive Director Ann Noonan, director Peggy Chane and Playwright C.L. Cooper after their discussion.

CUSIB Executive Director Ann Noonan Speaks at BBG Meeting

Posted on 2013-12-20 by wrchina

WRIC Dec 19, 2013

CUSIB Executive Director Ann Noonan spoke at the BBG meeting as a member of the public and noted some of the areas of CUSIB’s past and current concerns with the management of IBB and the Voice of America (VOA). They include continuing news handling problems and poor employee morale at VOA and still unresolved cases of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) employees who were dismissed or RIFed.

Statement by CUSIB Executive Director Ann Noonan

BBG Meeting
December 18, 2013
Washington, DC

“I’d like to be sure that everyone here knows that CUSIB is a non-partisan organization that came about at the request of people who work on matters involving journalism for media freedom and human rights. All of our work is done on a volunteer basis. We have no budget — so we are beholding to nobody.
I’d like to share CUSIB’s Christmas wish list of 8 things we hope will happen in the spirit of peace on earth and good will to all:

1. For the BBG to fully fund and not hinder Voice of America’s Cantonese, Mandarin and Tibetan services — especially radio broadcast services. These vital broadcasts provide desperately needed information for people who are being crushed out of existence in Tibet and China by China’s government. These broadcasts are cheap, they help poor people receive news, and unlike the internet or satellite television dishes — they cannot be monitored. We implore the IBB to stop its efforts to effectively shut down the Voice of America broadcasts to China by insisting it transition to Internet only.

2. For Radio Free Asia — to continue to keep the world apprised about the case of Chinese dissident Zhang Lin, whose trial began today and whose daughters, Anni and RuLi now live in California with CUSIB Board Member Reggie Littlejohn.

3. For VOA to remain fully funded, and for the BBG Governors to break the bureaucratic resistance at VOA and carry out immediate management reforms both at VOA and at IBB. We applaud BBG for the change of management at RFE/RL. We applaud CEO Kevin Klose for his efforts to restore high journalistic standards to RFE/RL and for his outstanding coverage of events in Ukraine. We also applaud VOA Ukrainian Service for its outstanding coverage. But VOA as an organization and VOA’s central newsroom continue to fail. VOA English media’s coverage of Vice President Biden and US Senator McCain were especially deficient. There are personnel changes that need to be made immediately. Experienced journalists with managerial experience should be hired to fulfill VOA’s mission to bring news, information and opinions for worldwide audiences — this includes reporting on U.S. foreign policy.

4. For the BBG to resolve its lawsuits that were brought against RFE/RL by its discriminated foreign employees in Prague. We also appeal to BBG and to Kevin Klose to rehire women journalists who were fired by the previous management from the RFE/RL Kazakh Service after they objected to offensive and inappropriate program content.

5. For the BBG to resolve the lawsuits that were brought by illegally fired RIF’ed employees who worked for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. Let these people be reinstated. Their stories demonstrate tremendous injustice by IBB executives.

6. For the IBB to revise its December 16th press release that boasts research showing a growth in their audience. We consider this particular press release to be to be highly deceptive. The BBG has lost audiences in the Middle East and in other critical regions for the United States, and that needs to be addressed. Most of the reported gain appears to be in Latin America, where IBB probably counted an already existing audience.

7. For the BBG Governors to realize the value and independence of surrogate broadcasters. We need them to continue to coexist with VOA, which needs to be reformed to fulfill its own news mission and to start serious reporting of U.S. news and opinions.

8. For the BBG to send CUSIB the documents that we asked for on September 19, 2013 in two Freedom of Information requests. We expect that any of the information that may be redacted in these US government documents will have be done for genuine legal cause, and not because the information turns out to be embarrassing to any current or former IBB employees.

Thank you, and may you all have a blessed Christmas.”