the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was officially resumed in the Blue Room

On February 24, the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was officially resumed in the Blue Room. Introduced by spokesman Hua Chunying, the 31st spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian appeared in the Blue Room and chaired the first press conference.

According to Hua Chunying: “Deputy Director Zhao Lijian has been engaged in diplomatic work for 24 years. He has worked in the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy in the United States and the Embassy in Pakistan. The match is also good.

Zhao Lijian appeared for the first time in response to the Wall Street Journal’s refusal to apologize for the insulting title. The sharp words of the new spokesperson have attracted praise from netizens.

Reporter’s question: According to reports, on the 20th, 53 Wall Street Journal employees in China sent a joint e-mail to the newspaper’s management, requesting that the title of the previously published article “China is a real sick man in Asia” be modified, and an apology to the offender. “It’s not a matter of editorial independence or the division between news reports and commentary. It’s a wrong headline and it deeply offends many people, including Chinese,” the email wrote.

But a “Wall Street Journal” spokesman said on the 22nd that the newspaper’s position has not changed. What is China’s comment?

Zhao Lijian replied:

First, do not expect China to remain silent when faced with vicious insults and slanders.

Second, WSJ has been dodging its responsibility by saying news and opinion are separate divisions. It makes no sense. What we want to know is who should be responsible and who should apologize on behalf of WSJ. It had the audacity to slander, why then, does it lack the courage to make an apology? There is only one news agency called the Wall Street Journal. It should bear the consequences of its willful acts.

According to US media reports, on February 20, 53 “Wall Street Journal” employees in China and “other colleagues involved in the report” sent a joint e-mail to the top of the newspaper asking for amendments to the article “China is a true” Asian sick man ” Title, and formally apologize for the strong negative impact of the article.

The Wall Street Journal’s China staff is urging the newspaper to apologize for a headline that prompted the Chinese government to expel three of its journalists last week.

“We… ask you to consider correcting the headline and apologizing to our readers, sources, colleagues and anyone else who was offended by it,” said an email.

The email added, “This is not about editorial independence or the sanctity of the divide between news and opinion. It is not about the content of Dr. Mead’s article. It is about the mistaken choice of a headline that was deeply offensive to many people, not just in China.”

On the 20th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang countered that the matter was not a question of freedom of speech, as Pompeo said, but a blatant discrimination against a country and nation. The abused person should have the right to “attack back “.

I want to ask Mr. Pompeo this question: if the WSJ has the freedom to insult, don’t the offended have the right to fight back?