The Washington Post Claims Lianhe Zaobao Leans towards China’s Narrative for Readership

The intensifying US-China rivalry isn’t anything new to us in Singapore. What’s new, however, is a Singapore Chinese newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, being accused of leaning towards China’s narrative.

And the one making the accusation isn’t an unfamiliar name as well; it’s The Washington Post.

Here’s what you need to know about the Zaobao-Washington Post issue going on right now.

The Washington Post Claims Lianhe Zaobao Leans towards China’s Narrative for Readership

On 24 July 2023, The Washington Post ran an investigative piece on Lianhe Zaobao’s alleged biased reporting.

It claims that Zaobao has been leaning towards China’s narrative, mainly for business benefits.

You can read the entire article here, but here’s the breakdown on what they said.

Concerns About the Chinese Identity in Singapore

China, the Washington Post said, is building up its global power by “stoking divided loyalties”.

Singapore has long been a friend and ally to the US but the Chinese community in Singapore is increasingly sympathetic to China, the paper said.

This is evidenced by a 2022 Pew Research Centre survey, which saw Singapore as “one of the only three countries seeing China in a favourable light”, the publication claims.

In June this year, a survey found that less than 50% of respondents in Singapore viewed the US favourably, compared to the average of 56%.

CCP Messaging in Lianhe Zaobao’s Reporting

It’s not just the Chinese population in Singapore, The Washington Post article alleges. A leading Chinese publication, Lianhe Zaobao, is also leaning towards the China narrative.

Some of the allegations include:

• Echoing some of Beijing’s most aggressive falsehoods, including denying evidence of rights abuse in Xinjiang and alleging that foreign elements incited protests in Hong Kong and mainland China
• Often quoting from China state sources more than any other sources, sometimes without context
• Running regular opinion columns from at least two CCP officials without disclosing their party affiliations

According to The Washington Post, they came to this conclusion after analysing more than 700 Lianhe Zaobao articles from 2022 to early 2023 with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

The two CCP officials in question are Deng Qingbo, a director at Hunan province’s cyberspace administration office, and Ding Songquan, part of the CCP’s committee at Huzhou College in Zhejiang province.

It was also added that another columnist, Hong Kong-based Xing Yu-Chao, writes “identical columns” for Zaobao and China Daily, a CCP-owned media outlet.

Asked to Write Positive Stories About China

The article also alleges that back in 2022, outgoing Chinese ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan had met with a group of Chinese-language online outlets in Singapore to steer clear of sensitive topics, including China’s actions in Xinjiang and Tibet.

It also said that a SPH Media editor was told to write positive stories about China.

The Chinese Embassy wrote a response to The Washington Post, pointing out that Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious country. It has been in “regular contact with a diverse array of local communities”, including Malay and Indian lawmakers.

Changes Came About Due to Readership

So why is Zaobao trying to hug Beijing with two arms?

The answer, according to The Washington Post, lies in readership.

The Chinese publication’s readership in Singapore has been dropping. Zaobao’s digital and print subscriptions fell from 187,900 in 2015 to 144,000 in 2020.

On the other hand, Zaobao has over 4 million monthly readers in China, with access monetised through advertising and paid advertorials.

According to inside sources, which were not named, the changes came about massively in 2019 when access to Zaobao’s main WeChat page was blocked in Hong Kong.

This was interpreted as a warning to the publication, and Zaobao allegedly made it a priority not to be blocked in China.

Lianhe Zaobao’s Response to Washington Post

This, as you can probably tell, is a bigly issue and Lianhe Zaobao has responded to the allegations made by The Washington Post.

Here’s a TL;DR of their response:

Zaobao’s reporting decisions aren’t based on whether they will be blocked in China. They cover China while being “objective, neutral, fact-based and without critique or preconceived notions.”

Proficient in both English and Mandarin, Zaobao journalists quote from a great variety of sources, including international news agencies and Western media sources.

The opinion section of Zaobao is meant to reflect a wide spectrum of views and it doesn’t  not represent the position of the newspaper.

The paper also respects its contributors’ wishes to publish anonymously or under a pseudonym due to their sensitive positions.

Regarding outgoing ambassador Sun Haiyan, quite a number of ambassadors, including Sun Haiyan, has been engaging with the newspaper. They interviewed the ambassadors and published contributed articles by them, with the latest from the Japanese ambassador.

Lianhe Zaobao claims that The Washington Post has “selectively left out some facts while intentionally highlighting and putting together some information” which is “regrettable but not surprising”.

Nonetheless, it will not be embroiled in the China-US rivalry.

You can read Lianhe Zaobao’s response in full below:

The Washington Post’s feature article “In Singapore, Loud Echoes of Beijing’s Positions Generate Anxiety” (published on 24 July) made biased comments and unfair statements about Lianhe Zaobao, based on its journalistic perspective and approach on pre-established perspectives and agendas, and presented its materials and arguments as such. This is unfortunate.

Lianhe Zaobao is a Singapore news media with an eye on the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

We strive to provide fair and balanced reporting, and in doing so draw extensively from international news sources and the first-hand reports of our correspondents and writers in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou/Shenzhen, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur who track regional developments and major power diplomacy.

Our publication also features articles with diverse perspectives.

We had earlier provided comprehensive responses to the questions raised by The Washington Post, which were not adequately reflected in their reporting.

Lianhe Zaobao takes its mission of delivering information seriously and remains committed to neutrality.

Our reporting features viewpoints from China and the West, including policy statements from officials, analyses from academics, media coverage and commentaries.

In fact, we extensively quote and use information from international news agencies and commentaries to offer our readers and audiences broad, diverse, and sometimes opposing perspectives and information.

As a Singapore news media, Lianhe Zaobao takes in Chinese and Western viewpoints while preserving our unique stance and independence.

Lianhe Zaobao has had an online presence in mainland China for nearly 30 years, making efforts to provide Chinese audiences with international information and perspectives that may not be covered by domestic media.

Lianhe Zaobao has also experienced several periods of prolonged blocks.

The Washington Post has selectively left out some facts while intentionally highlighting and putting together some information, and citing anonymous former and current journalists to paint a negative image of Lianhe Zaobao, which is regrettable but not surprising to us.

Amid the current international geopolitical situation, the idea that “if you are not with us, you are against us” is spreading.

Now more than ever, Lianhe Zaobao believes that we should not be pressured by anyone into changing our editorial direction.

We remain committed to staying objective; we will not be pressured by any party, and do not wish to be embroiled in China-US rivalry.

You can read Lianhe Zaobao’s answers to The Washington Post in full here.