The China Times (Chinese: 中國時報; pinyin: Zhōngguó Shíbào; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-kok Sî-pò, abbr. 中時; Zhōng Shí; Tiong-sî) 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.
 China Times headquarters | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Want Want China Times Group |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Political alignment | Pan-Blue |
| Language | Chinese |
| Headquarters | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Website | www |
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][2]
History
editThe China Times was founded in February 1950 under the name Credit News (Chinese: 徵信新聞; pinyin: Zhēngxìn xīnwén), and focused mainly on price indices. The name changed on January 1, 1960, to Credit Newspaper (Chinese: 徵信新聞報; pinyin: Zhēngxìn xīnwénbào), 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.[3]
By the 1970s, the China Times became one of the two largest traditional news groups in Taiwan, alongside United Daily News.[4][5]
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.[6][7]
The founder, Yu Chi-chung, died in 2002, leaving the presidency of the paper to his second son, Yu Chien-hsin. Yu Chi-chung's eldest daughter, Yu Fan-ing, is the vice president. The bureau chief is Lin Shengfen (林聖芬), the general manager Huang Chao-sung (黃肇松), and the chief editor Huang Ch'ing-lung (黃清龍).[citation needed]
In 2008, the China Times Group was sold to the Want Want Holdings Limited, the largest rice cake manufacturer in Taiwan.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10] Reporters Without Borders called the lawsuit a "an abusive libel suit" and accused Want Want of harassing an experienced journalist.[11] The lawsuit was dropped by Want Want on March 11, 2021.[12]
Editorial stance
editThe China Times was historically aligned with the liberal wing (自由派) of the Kuomintang.[5]
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.[1] It has since been criticized of being "very biased" in favor of positive news about the Chinese government.[13] 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.[14]
Other publications and related activities
edit- The Commercial Times (1978)
- The China Times (U.S. Edition) (1982)[citation needed]
- The China Times Express, published between 1988 and 2005[citation needed]
- China Times Weekly The first print edition was published on 5 March 1978, as a monthly magazine titled China Times Magazine. The publication transitioned to a weekly format in 1988, accompanied by a name change to China Times Weekly. The website and digital edition were established in 2019, and the final print edition was published on 25 August 2021.[15]
- www.chinatimes.com (1995)[citation needed]
- The China Times' literary supplement is called Human Realm (人間; Rénjiān).[citation needed]
- China Times is associated with the Japanese newspaper Daily Yomiuri, including cooperation between China Times Travel Agency and Daily Yomiuri Travel Agency.[citation needed]
- WantChinaTimes.com, established in 2010, is an English-language Chinese news website owned by The China Times Group.[16] The site often reprints news items from the English-language edition of the PRC-controlled Xinhua News Agency. According to Chien-Jung Hsu, the professor at National Dong Hwa University, "Want China Times seems to be a representative of the Xinhua News Agency in Taiwan."[1]
See also
edit- China Television (CTV)
- Chung T'ien Television (Cti TV)
- Media of Taiwan
References
edit- ^ a b c Hsu, Chien-Jung (2014). The Construction of National Identity in Taiwan's Media, 1896–2012. Brill. p. 143. doi:10.1163/9789004227699. ISBN 978-90-04-22769-9.
- ^ Aspinwall, Nick (27 July 2019). "Taiwan Shaken by Concerns Over Chinese Influence in Media, Press Freedom". The Diplomat. Diplomat Media Inc. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "余纪忠病逝:文人办报时代的结束". historymuseum.nju.edu.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ Park, Myung-Jin; Curran, James, eds. (2000). De-Westernizing Media Studies. Routledge. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-0-415-19395-5.
- ^ a b Lee, Chin-Chuan, ed. (2000). Power, Money, and Media: Communication Patterns and Bureaucratic Control in Cultural China. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. pp. 351–. ISBN 978-0-8101-1787-7. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- ^ Arangure Jr, Jorge (2015-01-02). "Gray Area: Inside the Mafia-Run World of Baseball Match-Fixing in Taiwan". Vice News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Chang, Rich (2005-08-25). "Players, gangsters face charges in baseball fix". Taipei Times. Taiwan, Republic of China: Liberty Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Wang, Lisa (5 Nov 2008). "China Times Group is sold to Want Want". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 Feb 2015.
- ^ Hille, Kathrin. "Taiwan primaries highlight fears over China's political influence". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Yun, Chen; Chung, Jake (20 July 2019). "Want Want China Times to sue 'Financial Times'". Taipei Times. Taiwan, Republic of China: Liberty Times. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ Strong, Matthew. "Reporters Without Borders group slams Taiwan media company action against Financial Times". Taiwan News. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ Chien, Li-chung; Madjar, Kayleigh. "'Financial Times' defamation case dropped". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Higgins, Andrew (21 Jan 2012). "Tycoon prods Taiwan closer to China". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ 【台灣大選・反赤】《中國時報》記者親述台灣媒體如何被染紅. Stand News (in Chinese). 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ Yeh, Kuan-yin; Kao, Evelyn (25 August 2021). "China Times Weekly, Want Weekly end print edition, go fully digital". Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "About Us". Want China Times. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 21 Feb 2015.