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| The Morning News in China, April 10, 2022 |
Today's program vividly embodies China's anti-West shift in foreign policy. The April 10, 2022 news presentation illustrates an editorial stance in keeping with the tentative emergence of a Beijing-led axis including Russia, Venezuela, Syria, Pakistan on the one side, with the US, NATO, Japan and the rest of the West on the other.
The "situation" in Ukraine is relatively quiet today which gives CCTV a chance to do what it does best; shower praise on supporters and belittle detractors. Zhang Anqi and Wang Yan bring you news of this neatly divided world with cool professionalism and aplomb.
Today's victims? Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Palestine.
The perpetrators? US, NATO, Israel and Germany.
France gets a pass.
While the CCTV has yet to mention Russia's invasion of Ukraine, let alone criticize the violence, NATO and the US continue to get blamed for almost everything from "starting it" to faking massacres and lying to the world. EU is now described as the economic wing of NATO, and US the ringleader, suggesting the world is well on the way to dividing into two camps.
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| US and NATO aim to "destroy Russia" |
Now, China likes to think of itself as a polite country, and it likes to stick to diplomatic protocol. So, let's suppose you want a proxy to stick it to America, to rail against US imperialism. Who do you call?
You can't do much better than call on Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. He shares his view that the US is imposing "information dictatorship" on the world. CCTV features him speaking loudly in Spanish in his own voice, with a great deal of passion and hyperbole.
The US “anti-humanity propaganda dictatorship is installed in the media...and this might well lead to utter destruction and World War Three.
Russians don't get a lot of air time today on this morning's news, but when they do they look mad.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova is fuming as usual and the dour head of the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, looks aggravated to say the least. Where's Putin?
Next, China has some words of caution to Germany, which will suffer if Europe continues to blindly follow the US lead and oppose Russia. Not only will there be shortages of fuel and food prices will go up, but Germany won't be able to produce its famous cars any longer.
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| "Without Russian natural gas... Germany cannot produce glass" |
Friend of Russia and China, Imran Khan is in the news. He was the first leader to visit Putin in Moscow after the declaration of hostilities with Ukraine, but just lost a no-confidence motion to remain in power as Pakistan's prime minister.
But don't worry! China-Pakistan relations remain rock solid.
And now, on to Tehran. Iran is an excellent go-to partner for Beijing when it wants to distance itself from DC and make the US squirm a bit.
Remember this cool-looking dude? China does. It's not that April 10 is an obvious anniversary or anything but they chose this day to remember a strike that took place on January 3, 2020.
It's a slightly out-of-date story, but still powerful because it's shocking and it's true. CCTV reminds viewers that the US assassinated Iranian commander Qasem Suleimani at an airport in January 2020.
The flaming wreckage of his car shown below.
China television takes at face value Iran's declarations concerning its nuclear intent, repeating Iran's official line.
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| “Iran has but peaceful intentions for its nuclear industry.” |
Wow. Iran gets a news trifecta from CCTV today!
Besides talk of "atoms for
peace" and seizing a boat for smuggling oil, there is a big story about Iran filing a complaint against the United States for violation of law and human rights. Iran's righteous complaint, backed by careful documentation, is directed against a small number of nefarious US citizens.
And then the program then segues to a news update from the Middle East.
China has been on fairly good terms with Israel, at least until Tel Aviv belatedly joined the US-led gang to impose sanctions on Russia. Israel gets slammed for two bombings in the news, the first in central Syria, with no further details, the second a strike of armed Palestinian personnel on Jordan's West Bank.
It's been a long slog through some difficult territory, but the news is almost over. What kind of world are we living in?
The lengthy friends-of-China news segment is now finished which leaves just enough time for CCTV to cover the election in France
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| CCTV has a reporter on the ground for this story. |
There is speculation that Macron may
benefit politically from the Ukraine "situation." There is also
speculation that he might not benefit from the Ukraine "situation."
The international news segment concludes on a sad note. It's a stunningly-photographed story of a tragic drought in Somalia and other parts of East Africa that has put fifteen million people at risk.
Back to China, for a timely update from Shanghai, where everything is under control. The party is meeting people's needs with help of color-themed volunteers.
And what's this? There's an unexpected coda, though perhaps in keeping with the persistent tendency to go easy on Russia and hard on the US, it is predictable. Irate that the US consulate in Shanghai is moving its people out of town because of uncertain and declining conditions, CCTV shows file footage of Covid testing in the US, followed by pictures of Biden with US lawmakers.
The message is duly somber:
“More and more important political figures in the United States are getting infected with the coronavirus.”
The brief report mentions Nancy Pelosi in particular and slyly suggests that a number of other infected individuals have been in close proximity to President Biden.
And that’s it. And now for the weather…..
