Chinese Press Review: Copy and Paste from Meng Jianzhu

37 Chinese nationals were flown into Beijing International Airport on Saturday morning after their extradition from Angola. The suspects were arrested in Angola for crimes against other Chinese citizens, allegedly including kidnapping, armed robberies, extortions and forcing women into prostitution. Chinese and Angolan police reportedly cooperated in the operations that led to the arrests.

A press release by the ministry of public security states that the operation had led to the destruction of twelve criminal gangs, the uncovering of 48 serious criminal cases, and the rescue of 14 victims of Chinese nationality. The press release emphasizes the role of the Chinese embassy in Angola in bringing the gang operations to the attention of the ministry of public security.

State Councillor and minister of public security Meng Jianzhu attached great importance to this and ordered the public security organs to take effective measures to severely crack down on criminal activities that violate the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, and to conscientiously protect the safety of Chinese nationals’ lives and properties in Angola. In April this year, during Angolan interior minister Sebastião Martins’visit to China, Meng and Martins signed the “Cooperation Agreement between the PRC and the Angolan Republic on the Protection of Public Security and Social Order”, and one of the main points of their discussions were joint crackdowns on crimes harming the legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens in Angola, and decided that China should, as quickly as possible, dispatch [a] team[s] to Angola for joint action. Meng Jianzhu sent a letter to Martins, expressing his hope that Angola would actively cooperate, intensify efforts, ensure the actions’ efficiency, and conscientiously protect our citizens’ lives and properties.

今年初，我国驻安哥拉大使馆致函公安部称，去年以来，在安境内不断发生针对中国公民的抢劫、绑架、敲诈勒索、拐骗妇女强迫卖淫等犯罪案件，严重危害了在安中国公民安全，希望公安部采取打击行动。国务委员、公安部部长孟建柱对此高度重视，要求公安机关采取有效措施，严厉打击侵害中国公民合法权益的犯罪活动，切实保护在安中国公民的生命财产安全。今年4月，安哥拉内政部部长马丁斯访华期间，孟建柱与马丁斯共同签署了《中华人民共和国公安部和安哥拉共和国内政部关于维护公共安全和社会秩序的合作协议》，并在会谈中重点讨论了中安警方联合打击侵害在安中国公民合法权益犯罪的有关工作，商定由中方尽快派工作组赴安开展联合行动。孟建柱致信马丁斯，希望安方积极配合，加大工作力度，确保打击成效，切实保护我公民的生命财产安全。

A advance group was sent to Angola in May, the ministry’s website says, to carry out investigations, and to coordinate cooperation with the Angolan authorities. According to their findings, the gang activities had been going on since 2009. More than 30 public security and People’s Police officers from Fujian, Anhui, Liaoning and other regions were sent to Angola on July 19. More than 400 Angolan police and Chinese officers started the crackdowns on August 1, according to the ministry website.

The following sentence seems to suggest to me that the public security minister invites all kinds of media to simply copy and paste the press release and to sell it as their own work (“source” and “author” are left open at the beginning of the release):

This reporter learned that, due to the Angolan presidential elections, the extadition of the suspects didn’t go as scheduled. State Councillor and minister of public security Meng Jianzhu had to send another letter to Angolan interior minister Martins.

记者了解到，由于安哥拉正值总统大选，遣返犯罪嫌疑人的工作未能如期进行。国务委员、公安部部长孟建柱再次致信安哥拉内政部部长马丁斯。

Public security ministry: come, copy me!

At People’s Daily Net, the People’s Daily Photo Channel becomes the “source”, and in another category, it’s People’s Daily Net proper – but at least, they put a narrator in front of a camera. Interestingly, they also add the names of two reporters (Yang Yan, Feng Huanhuan).   Sina isn’t that cheap, and laconically states “ministry of public security” as the source. Most or all commercial media, from Wenxue City to TenCent,  also attribute the press release correctly. China’s second-largest news agency after Xinhua however, China News Service, states itself as the source.

Huanqiu Shibao attributes the report to the ministry, and Enorth attributes it to China News Service (see end of previous para). For some reason, the report even gets an author at Enorth, different from the editor mentioned at the news agency.

Tags: accountability, Africa, China, communication, Communist Party of China, democracy, government, image, international, Jiangsu Province, journalism, media, propaganda, quote, rule of law