CCP news articles seep into Taiwanese paper

An official in charge of cross-strait affairs at the GIO said the insert could be an attempt by China to circumvent screening of print content by Taiwanese authorities

All seven stories in a China Reports insert accompanying the local English-language China Post newspaper yesterday were stories originally published in Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-run publications, but nowhere were the sources mentioned, an omission that could violate domestic laws on product placement.

The eight-page insert, dated April 8, and which purports to be the Volume 2, No. 12 issue of the Reports, contains seven human interest stories, all of which were taken from the People’s Daily, Xinhua news agency and the China Daily in recent months. All three are owned by the CCP and well known for their pro-CCP editorial stance.

Readers informed the Taipei Times that the insert has appeared sporadically in recent months, including the past three Fridays.

All seven articles were published without a byline, date of original publication or the name of the original publication, and nowhere is the insert identified as originating from an outside source, which could lead readers to believe that the material comes from the China Post staff.

When contacted by the Taipei Times, the editorial department at the Post said they were in no position to comment on the matter since the entire insert was produced and sent to them from Hong Kong.

Asked if any China Post staff had control over content in the insert, the person contacted said: “I don’t think so.”

My article, published today in the Taipei Times, continues here, with interesting remarks by an official at the GIO in charge of cross-strait affairs and a reference to what is probably the longest guideline in the history of government regulations.