The recent dispute between Google and China has been covered in great depth by the international media, and China’s own state-owned news networks such as, Xinhua, have also been diligently reporting on the unfolding events.  A search of Xinhua’s English-language website reveals a handful of fairly unbiased news stories, including a piece stating that Google’s actions will not damage Sino-Chinese relations.

However, a search for 谷歌 –– Google’s Chinese name –– on Chinese-language versions of the same website reveals a totally different story. On the same day, 23 March, Xinhua was reassuring its English readers that the row would remain a purely commercial concern “unless someone politicizes the issue”, Xinhua published another story only available in Chinese, entitled “Google has already turned into a political tool”. That article argues that America uses Google to promote its political ideology and enforce a  cultural hegemony, it claims the company’s actions are a direct attempt to subvert the Chinese government.

In another damning article, entitled “China rejects the politics of Google” published on 19 March even before Google redirected traffic to its Hong Kong servers, Beijing reporters accuse the business giant of being intricately linked to US intelligence. The “freedom of information” argument, they declare, is simply a ruse to indoctrinate Chinese society with American ideals and values. Articles such as these and many more are not available in translation on its English website.

The Chinese government is unhappy its censorship procedures and appalling human rights record have been spotlighted during the controversy. The Guardian today reports that the government has released internal guidelines for any future coverage of the dispute by the press.

So English readers of Chinese news websites are provided with balanced reportage, promoting the image of China as a country of growing openness and dialogue. However, for its Chinese audiences, the news channels make available little more than state-endorsed propaganda.

This discrepancy between its approaches to international and national news reveals the sophistication of the Chinese state media. A deeper examination of press agencies such as Xinhua, shows that they are nothing more than a way for the Chinese government to simultaneously control its own public image, and the national public.