Ex-Chinese ambassador offers rare insight into Beijing’s thinking about foreign media

A former Chinese ambassador has shared her tips on dealing with foreign media in an article for a party organ that gives a rare insight into the mindset of the country’s senior diplomats.

“When I was ambassador to Australia, I accepted an interview. The journalist’s family had immigrated from an eastern European country … and she was hostile towards any country governed by a Communist power,” Fu said.

Fu said that during the three-hour interview, the journalist had questioned China and when the article was published, it criticised the country and described her as a “stubborn Communist”.

Since then, Fu, who was also ambassador to the Philippines and Britain, said she had done thorough background research when accepting interviews and made a judgment about the reporter’s intentions.

She also said she thought it was important to try to take control of the interview, for example by asking rhetorical questions rather than answering questions that were motivated by bias.