Key differences in coverage in Canada, China as Meng Wanzhou extradition hearing continues
Posted January 23, 2020 12:44 pm.
Last Updated January 23, 2020 12:45 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – While there is a lot of interest in China over the extradition hearing of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, there are some major differences in how proceedings are being reported on there and here in Canada.
That’s according to Ian Young, a journalist for the South China Morning Post, who is paying close attention to the case.
He said he hasn’t seen any coverage from Chinese state media about protesters outside the hearing claiming to have been paid to be there — which NEWS 1130 and some other outlets reported earlier this week.
However, he noted the protests themselves have been featured quite prominently in the background of some stories, like a broadcast from CCTV, the main Chinese State news broadcaster.
“These protesters were depicted as showing local people rallying behind Meng Wanzhou and petitioning for her release, that’s how they were described in a CCTV news report,” he told NEWS 1130. “I haven’t seen any reports about the protesters getting paid appearing in Chinese media, but the protesters themselves on Monday, they did feature quite prominently in some Chinese state media news broadcasts in the background of these stories.”
It’s still unclear who exactly paid a number of protesters who showed up at B.C. Supreme Court on the opening day of Meng’s extradition hearing.
Young said, broadly speaking, the view of Meng is very sympathetic in China, something that comes across in the coverage.
