China is paying foreign journalists to report from Beijing : Ananth Krishnan

For 10 months every year, starting 2016, China’s foreign ministry has hosted around 100 foreign journalists from leading media houses in Asia and Africa. They have been given the red-carpet treatment: apartments in one of Beijing’s plush residences, the Jianguomen Diplomatic Compound, where a two-bedroom apartment costs 22,000 Yuan (Rs 2.4 lakh), a 5,000 Yuan monthly stipend for some (Rs 50,000) and free tours twice-every-month to different Chinese provinces. They are also given language classes and at the end of the programme, they are given degrees in international relations from a Chinese university.

Perhaps above all, they are given what other foreign correspondents in China are usually denied — access to Chinese government officials and ministries.

This initiative coincides with two major Chinese government objectives: the launch of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, and Xi’s call in 2016 to “tell China’s story better” to the world.

Connect with ThePrint

[petagonkyi]

Name and shame these paid liars for Beijing.

[bladerunner]

it would have been nice to know the names of these journalists.. especially indian ones

[parttimethinker]

Hehe, so the Indian government and indigenous consumption paid journalists are more trusting? The invitation by China can be refused, whereas in India, refusing may not be conducive to survival. The kind hearted Indian, please stop hating your brothers next door. To paraphrase a famous Indian’s teachings, the Lord Sakhiya Buddha, “one must find peace from within by allow oneself a chance stop all self inflicting sufferings”. He taught us that sufferings originated from one’s heart. Sadhu sadhu everyone.