Hua Chunying (File photo: CFP)
For certain US people to constantly smear and attack China under the pretext of freedom of the press and of speech is a desecration of true freedom and democracy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.
Hua made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a series of comments by US officials that the Chinese government was disseminating false information overseas through state media aimed at interfering in or undermining democracy while also restricting freedom of the press and speech in China.
Hua pointed out that they were spreading false information.
Hua also raised five questions about the freedom of the press and speech in the US:
“If the US truly stands for freedom, why does the US only allow itself to mislead the public while not allowing others to tell the truth?”
“If the US truly stands for freedom, why did the founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange end up in jail after being forced to hide in the Ecuadorian Embassy in the UK for seven years?”
“If the US truly stands for freedom, why does the US not respect or even tolerate other civilizations and social systems?”
“If the US truly stands for freedom, why does the US suppress opinions that differ from the so-called ‘political correctness?’”
“If the US truly stands for freedom, why does the US deprive other countries of rights and freedom of normal development?”
(Compiled by Ruan Ziyan and Zhu Yingqi)
