China Times Explained

China Times
Type:Daily newspaper
Owners:Want Want China Times Group
Political:Pan-Blue
Language:Chinese
Headquarters:Taipei, Taiwan

The China Times (abbr.) is a daily Chinese-language newspaper published in Taiwan and one of the most widely circulated newspapers in Taiwan. Founded in 1950, the China Times Group was acquired by food and media conglomerate Want Want, which also owns TV stations CTV and CTiTV.

The paper is generally perceived by the Taiwanese general public to be supportive of the pan-Blue coalition, which consists of the Kuomintang and allied political groups—while also facing allegations that it supports the political priorities of the Chinese Communist Party.[1]

History

The China Times was founded in February 1950 under the name Credit News, and focused mainly on price indices. The name changed on January 1, 1960, to Credit Newspaper, a daily with comprehensive news coverage. Color printing was introduced on March 29, 1968, the first newspaper in Asia to make the move. On September 1, 1968, the name changed once again to China Times, presently based in the Wanhua District, Taipei.

By the 1970s, the China Times became one of the two largest traditional news groups in Taiwan, alongside United Daily News.[2] [3]

China Times once managed a Taiwan-based baseball team, the China Times Eagles, but a betting scandal dissolved the team seven years into its operation.[4] [5]

The founder,, died in 2002, leaving the presidency of the paper to his second son, . Yu Chi-chung's eldest daughter, Yu Fan-ing, is the vice president. The bureau chief is Lin Shengfen, the general manager Huang Chao-sung, and the chief editor Huang Ch'ing-lung .

In 2008, the China Times Group was sold to the Want Want Holdings Limited, the largest rice cake manufacturer in Taiwan.[6]

In 2019, the Financial Times published a report alleging that the China Times as well as Chung T'ien Television, also owned by Want Want, took daily orders from the Taiwan Affairs Office.[7] The Want Want China Times Media Group subsequently filed defamation claims against the Financial Times and announced the intent to file defamation claims against any news organization that cited the Financial Times report.[8] Reporters Without Borders called the lawsuit a "an abusive libel suit" and accused Want Want of harassing an experienced journalist.[9] The lawsuit was dropped by Want Want on March 11, 2021.[10]

Editorial stance

The China Times was historically aligned with the liberal wing of the Kuomintang.

Since China Times was bought by the pro-China Taiwanese businessman tycoon Tsai Eng-Meng, head of Want Want Holdings Limited, in 2008, the Times has veered into an editorial stance more sympathetic to the positions of the Chinese Communist Party. It has since been criticized of being "very biased" in favor of positive news about the Chinese government.[11] In a 2020 interview with Stand News, an anonymous Times journalist described the editorial stance of the paper as having changed completely after Tsai's acquisition. The interviewed journalist said the newspaper mandated the use of vocabulary that supports the PRC's positions on Taiwan, and prevented its reporters from covering topics that may be seen as against the Chinese government, such as issues involving the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Tsai himself has openly admitted to airing commercials from PRC authorities.[12]

Other publications and related activities

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aspinwall . Nick . 27 July 2019 . Taiwan Shaken by Concerns Over Chinese Influence in Media, Press Freedom . 29 July 2024 . . Diplomat Media Inc.
  2. Book: Myung-Jin. Park . De-Westernizing Media Studies . James. Curran . Routledge . 2000 . 978-0-415-19395-5 . 127– . registration.
  3. Book: Chin-Chuan. Lee . Power, Money, and Media: Communication Patterns and Bureaucratic Control in Cultural China . . Evanston, Illinois. 2000 . 978-0-8101-1787-7 . 351– . 2016-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712230339/https://books.google.com/books?id=T7kZCgcXpoUC&pg=PA351 . 2023-07-12 . live.
  4. Web site: Arangure Jr . Jorge . 2015-01-02 . Gray Area: Inside the Mafia-Run World of Baseball Match-Fixing in Taiwan . 2023-11-22 . . en . 2023-11-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231106003125/https://www.vice.com/en/article/53veb8/gray-area-inside-the-mafia-run-world-of-baseball-match-fixing-in-taiwan . live .
  5. Web site: 2005-08-25 . Players, gangsters face charges in baseball fix . 2023-11-22 . . Rich. Chang. Taiwan, Republic of China. Liberty Times. 2023-04-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230406044409/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/08/25/2003269044 . live .
  6. News: Wang . Lisa . 5 Nov 2008 . China Times Group is sold to Want Want . . 21 Feb 2015 . 21 February 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150221152432/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2008/11/05/2003427822 . live .
  7. News: Hille . Kathrin . Taiwan primaries highlight fears over China's political influence . . live . subscription . 11 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210324175916/https://www.ft.com/content/036b609a-a768-11e9-984c-fac8325aaa04 . 24 March 2021.
  8. Web site: Jake. Chung. Chen. Yun. 20 July 2019. Liberty Times. Taiwan, Republic of China. Want Want China Times to sue 'Financial Times'. 25 July 2019 . . 26 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190726061750/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2019/07/20/2003718982 . live .
  9. News: Strong . Matthew . Reporters Without Borders group slams Taiwan media company action against Financial Times . 25 July 2019 . . 25 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190725004829/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3751284 . live .
  10. News: Chien. Li-chung. Madjar. Kayleigh. 'Financial Times' defamation case dropped. Taipei Times. 11 March 2021. 11 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210311170359/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2021/03/12/2003753690. live.
  11. News: Higgins . Andrew . 21 Jan 2012 . Tycoon prods Taiwan closer to China . . 25 August 2017 . 30 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151130153609/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/tycoon-prods-taiwan-closer-to-china/2012/01/20/gIQAhswmFQ_story.html . live .
  12. News: 8 January 2020 . zh:【台灣大選・反赤】《中國時報》記者親述台灣媒體如何被染紅 . 9 March 2020 . . zh . 29 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200129234714/http://www.thestandnews.com/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%A4%A7%E9%81%B8-%E5%8F%8D%E8%B5%A4-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E6%99%82%E5%A0%B1-%E8%A8%98%E8%80%85%E8%A6%AA%E8%BF%B0%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%AA%92%E9%AB%94%E5%A6%82%E4%BD%95%E8%A2%AB%E6%9F%93%E7%B4%85/ . dead .
  13. News: Yeh . Kuan-yin . Kao . Evelyn . 25 August 2021 . China Times Weekly, Want Weekly end print edition, go fully digital . . 25 August 2021 . 25 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210825123327/https://focustaiwan.tw/culture/202108250017 . live .
  14. Web site: About Us . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150206175513/http://wantchinatimes.com/about-us.aspx . 6 February 2015 . 21 Feb 2015 . Want China Times.
  15. Book: Hsu, Chien-Jung . The Construction of National Identity in Taiwan's Media, 1896–2012 . . 2014 . 978-90-04-22769-9 . 143 . 10.1163/9789004227699.

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