The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China has received several reports of journalists being harassed and detained in Sichuan province in the run up to the anniversary of last year’s earthquake. With more foreign media organisations likely to visit the area before May 12, we call on the Chinese Foreign Ministry and local government officials to ensure an open reporting environment in the spirit of the regulations for foreign journalists that were announced on October 17, 2008.
Reports from the field include aggressive police and official interference with correspondents and their sources. In several cases, local authorities have insisted that journalists register in advance before doing their work. Such demands fly in the face of the new regulations for foreign media, which eliminated the need for prior permission to visit public areas and conduct interviews.
We have heard that guided media trips are planned to the affected areas. When offered as an option to augment independent reporting, such trips are welcome — but they are not a substitute. Journalists should have the choice of whether to travel alone or with the assistance of the authorities.
The open reporting environment for Chinese and foreign journalists in the immediate aftermath of the quake contributed to the global outpouring of sympathy and aid to the victims last year. We call on the Sichuan authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies to respect China’s regulations by providing unfettered access this year.
“The detentions and permit requirements in Sichuan are a disappointing step backwards by the authorities,” said FCCC president Jonathan Watts. “Reporting restrictions are a barrier to understanding the circumstances and needs of the people trying to recover from last year’s disaster. They should be lifted.”
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Ever increasing in popularity, our monthly social evening is always a jolly occasion. In addition to Beijing’s ebullient throng of international journalists, our membership is expanding within the business, diplomatic and academic worlds. Feisty debates, jovial conversations and tall tales abound, so come along and add your spice to the mix.
Non-members very welcome as always. No charge.
FCCC members enjoy a crazy drinks deal on presentation of valid membership card:
Pint Yanjing draught 10 kuai
Pint Carlsberg draught 20 kuai
House wine 25 kuai
All other drinks available at 20% discount
Friday, 1 May, 6-10pm
The Bookworm, Nansanlitun Lu 南三里屯路. Go to their website for map & directions at www.beijingbookworm.com or tel 6586 9507.
Join us for an evening with former journalist Edith Coron, who is now a career coach. Edith will hold an evening workshop focusing on strategies for transition for journalists.
Few news organizations have Human Resources departments, or offer their correspondents career advice. Journalists are left to themselves when it comes to career development or – increasingly often nowadays – reinventing themselves altogether.
For those navigating new technologies and new media to those thinking of moving on to a new role or even a new career, Edith will explain the process of coaching and how it can help journalists with career development and transition.
DATE: Wed April 29th, 2009
TIME: 7.30pm
VENUE: to be confirmed (likely to be Sanlitun)
ENTRANCE: free to FCCC members, 50 rmb on the door to non-members
RSVP to fcccadmin@gmail.com to give us an idea of numbers
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Edith Coron, formerly a foreign correspondent, made the switch several years ago and is now a certified executive coach and intercultural communication specialist based in Beijing. She is the founder and executive director of EOC-Intercultural Ltd.
She has an insider’s knowledge of the media, having worked as foreign correspondent in many countries for many organisations, including The European in Paris; Europe 1 and The Christian Science Monitor in Moscow; Radio/TV Suisse (among others) in Jerusalem; Le Monde and Radio France Internationale in Buenos Aires; and was also a war correspondent in four Central American counries. A “global nomad”, she has lived in China, the U.K., the U.S., Israel, France, Russia, Latin America and Africa, and speaks five languages.
Please join us for a talk by Anthony Bolton, President of investments for Fidelity International, who is in Beijing to launch his new book Investing Against the Tide: A Lifetime of Running Money. Mr Bolton will speak about the current global crisis, discuss whether we are entering a new bull market, and give tips on where people should be invested in today’s challenging stock market. He will also share the lessons learnt during a lifetime of running money and his thoughts on markets across Asia and in particular, China.
DATE: Thu Apr 23rd
TIME: 7-8.30pm
VENUE: Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, 2nd floor room
(Full address, map and directions on our website www.fccchina.org/when)
ENTRANCE: free to members, 50 rmb on the door to non-members
RSVP to fcccadmin@gmail.com to reserve your place. First come first served
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anthony Bolton has been with Fidelity International since the launch of its first UK funds nearly 30 years ago. He has served as managing director since 1990. Since stepping down from day-to-day portfolio management at the end of 2007, his full-time role at Fidelity includes mentoring younger fund managers and research analysts, as well as overseeing Fidelity’s investment management process.
Fidelity International provides investment products and services to individuals and institutional investors outside of the Americas, ranging from mutual funds and defined contribution pensions, to segregated portfolios and multi-manager products. Established in 1969, Fidelity currently manages assets of over US $197.9 billion in Europe and Asia.
Please join us as Ogilvy & Mather Greater China strategist Kunal Sinha shares findings from a recent study on senior citizens in China. Kunal’s research, part photojournalism, part commentary, shows that this 140 million strong demographic is surprisingly adaptative, having survived tumultous economic and social change with optimism and opinions intact. Understanding this often-overlooked demographic could have strategic implications for businesses in China as senior citizens wield greater power over family purchases and healthcare decisions.
DATE: Tuesday April 21st, 2009
TIME: 10-11.30am
VENUE: to be confirmed
ENTRANCE: free to members, 50 rmb to non-members
RSVP: for security purposes, RSVP to fcccadmin@gmail.com and bring FCCC membership card plus passport/ID card
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kunal Sinha is Executive Director for Ogilvy & Mather Greater China’s consumer insights and trends unit Discovery. He has worked as a strategist and researcher for 20 years, mostly with WPP group companies in India and China. He is a prolific author, with a large number of papers published in academic journals, business and trade media, and three books. The first two are about travel destinations in South Asia; the third ‘China’s Creative Imperative’ is an award-winning exposition of China’s potential in creativity.
