Did not fake report to play up President Xi's influence at Davos: China Daily

Hong Kong [China], Feb. 2 (ANI): Describing the ideas espoused by Chinese President Xi Jinping as having global appeal and being widely accepted, the state-run China Daily has rejected a recent media report published by the qz.com web site that it went to extreme lengths to promote President Xi's thoughts on the issue of future globalisation.

Responding to a recent qz.com report that the state-run China Daily quoted Davos Mayor Tarzisius Caviezel, as saying that China's President had set the agenda for the 2018 World Economic Forum (WEF) last year, the China Daily in its response said, " You are mistaken here, we are NOT "going to extreme lengths" now, and have never done so. Xi's ideas are widely accepted because of their own vision and strength. Our reporting is based on facts ."

In its statement, the China Daily further said that it is very sincere about maintaining utmost professionalism and can in no way be branded a propaganda machine.

"We are promoting Xi Jinping's ideas not only because the ideas serve human beings well, but also because we love our leader. This is very different from some media working like "propaganda machines."

The paper said that its reporter did not fabricate any information, as mentioned by the web site qz.com, and added, "That has been confirmed by the office of the mayor of Davos in a letter to the China Daily reporter following similar inaccurate reporting by Quartz, even before the ANI article was published by some India-based news outlets.

A copy of the letter from the mayor's office is attached herewith.

The China Daily further said, "We understand that the source, qz.com, which you referred to in the report, bears responsibility for this.."

Responding to a paragraph in the ANI article sourced from qz.com that said "Experts reveal that in 2015, the China Daily published an op-ed from New Yorker writer Peter Hessler praising the stability of China's political system. Hessler, however, said, he had never written such an opinion piece, and had only accepted to do an interview with the Chinese paper", the China Daily said, "The fact is: Peter Hessler DID write an op-ed for China Daily. He later apologized for the misunderstanding."

In addressing this issue as a professional media organisation, ANI is publishing a corrigendum incorporating the statement of the China Daily for the sake of accuracy and truthfulness in news reporting and upholding of journalistic ethics. (ANI)