Investigation Report on Xu Guangchun’s Involvement in Persecuting Falun Gong
Xu Guangchun [1], male, born in November 1944 in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. He is currently the Secretary of Henan Province Committee of Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He held the position of editor-in-chief of “Guangming Daily” in April, 1993; the vice minister of Department of Propagation of the Central Chinese Communist Party in 1995; the director of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in June, 2000; the secretary of CCP Henan Provincial Committee in December 2004.
Xu Guangchun is considered as a trusted follower of Jiang Zemin in the field of propagation. He was the first one to raise the concept of “Jiang Zemin Ideology of News” and to summarize the core of the concept as “Mouthpiece Theory”, “Life Theory”, “Guidance Theory”, “Creative Theory”, “Foundation Theory” etc. [2]
Xu Guangchun is one of the major responsible persons who conduct the persecution of Falun Gong in the media and propaganda areas. When announcing the appointment that Xu Guangchun took the position of the Secretary of CCP Henan Provincial Committee, Li, Jingtian, the vice Minister of the Department of Organizations of CCPCC (CCP Central Committee), revealed that Xu was the main coordinator for the propaganda against Falun Gong [3]. On June 17th, 1996, Guangming Daily published an article titled as ‘Set long term alarm to against pseudo-science’. The author Pan Guoyan, pen-named Xin Ping, is current the standing vice secretary-general of the Association of Chinese Publishers [4]. This is considered as the very first article to attack Falun Gong from Newspaper at the level of Central Authority of Party. Being the Editor-in-chief of the Guangming Daily newspaper at that time, Xu Guangchun took major responsibility for publishing this article.
On October 27th, 1999, as the vice Minister of Department of Propagation of CCPCC, Xu Guangchun gave a speech on the forum with editors-in-chief of some newspapers. When talking about sub-newspaper of Party Committee Office newspaper, he claimed that “to expose and criticize Falun Gong” as one of series of important propaganda campaigns. He also pointed out to re-take over the field of thought and culture in the issue of “Criticize Falun Gong” [5]. After sorted, his speech was published in Qiushi (Seeking Truth), the theoretical journal of CCPCC, issue No. 8, 2000 [6].
On December 24th, 1999, on the Ceremony of the Ninth Award of Chinese News and the first Award of famous Special Column of Chinese News, Xu Guangchun said that the anti Falun Gong campaign was one of four important propaganda campaigns in the media for that year [7]. In 2002, during the period of World Cup (soccer), Xu wrote a special guidance that no footage and voice of Falun Gong could get into direct broadcast [8]. On January 8th of 2003, in his presentation to the Working Conference of State Radio, Film and Television, Xu pointed out that, in current management, the hostile pressure were from Falun Gong and Western hostile forces who fight against China for the front line of public opinion, and continuously interfere and damage the broadcast and television [9]. Xu was in charge of preventing Falun Gong truth-telling program inserted and broadcasted in National Broadcast and Television System and he deployed the commands in many conferences [10, 11]. He is undeniably responsible for the sentence, injure and death of Falun Gong practitioners who have been persecuted for their participating in broadcasting truth-telling programs. He also took charged of a ‘special renovate project’ that involved by “610 Office”, with the aim to national widely block the receiving of Falun Gong programs from satellite [12]. In addition, Xu was in charge of supervising and reaching the agreement that CCTV gets into American with no resistance [13].
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References:
[1]. China Net, Xu Guangchun’s Resume.
2. Xinhua Net Shanghai Channel, Xu Guangchun: “The Core of Jiang Zemin Ideology of News” (selected publication), September 20th, 2003.
3. Henan Newspaper Net – Henan Daily, December 14th, 2004. Li Jingtian said, Xu Guangchun has coordinated and organized a series of important propaganda campaigns such as Study of Deng Xiaoping’s Ideology and important thought of Three Representatives ……Exposing and criticizing Falun Gong, etc.
4. Guangming Daily, June 17th, 1996, page 4. “‘Set long term alarm against pseudo-science -- the topic induced by the book ‘Zhuan Falun’” (by Xin Ping).
5. News Frontline, December 1999, No.24. “Enhance the management of the sub-newspapers and small newspapers to improve the skill of propaganda” by Xu Guangchun, the vice minister of the Department of Propaganda of CCPCC. (Note from investigator: this article was rearranged and published in Qiushi 2000, No.8)
6. Qiushi (Seeking Truth), No.8 (Total No. 285), April 17th, 2000. “The correct guidance on media is the good fortune for Party and People”, by Xu Guangchun.
7. People’s Daily, December 25th, 1999, page 2.
8. “Urgent Announcement from Beijing Radio, Film and Television Group”. May 10th, 2002. Part 2, the requirements on the propaganda and media report about “Falun Gong”.
9. Culture and Broadcast Information, Abstract of presentation by Xu Guangchun, the head of bureau, in the Working Conference of National Radio, Film and Television, organized by the General Bureau, January 8th, 2003
10. State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, presentation in the first meeting of the seventh Sciences and Technology Committee, February 19, 2004.
11. CCTV International, published on November 16, 2004. The presentation on the demonstrative meeting to promote digitalization of National Cable Television, March 25, 2004.
12. Chinese Satellite TV Network, Summary of Meeting Minute of united inter-ministerial conference to raise the power of the special control the order of the foreign Satellite TV broadcasting. February 13, 2004.
13. BBC Chinese.com, September 7th, 2001. A related report on Financial Times commented about possible agreement made between Murdoch & Time Warner and Chinese government: The director of the China State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, Xu Guangchun insisted that this agreement must let CCTV get into United States with no resistance. He said, he would like to visit USA himself, after accomplishing the agreement, to make sure the regular TV channel broadcasting CCTV’s programs. This is to say how much attention Beijing is paying to show China to everyday people in American.
