The Chinese embassy yesterday denied knowledge of any situations in which local journalists were barred from covering any events during the visit of China’s President Xi Jinping over the weekend. The embassy’s counsellor Lan Heping told the T&T Guardian yesterday she was unaware of any reports of conflict between journalists from the two countries. Several local journalists reported situations during the coverage of President Xi’s visit, in which they were blocked from doing their jobs and called “third world” journalists by reporters who accompanied the President from China.
CNC3 executive producer Sampson Nanton described an incident when local and regional journalists asked if they would be allowed to attend a meeting between President Xi and Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie at the Hilton Trinidad. “We were told that only Chinese journalists would be allowed. We asked why since the talks applied not only to China but to the Caribbean as well,” Nanton said. He said they were told that no media from third world countries would be allowed. He said later he heard from another journalist that the statement had been repeated and a videographer attached to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s party was also turned away. Nanton said several local journalists were upset and raised the issue with director of communications of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gideon Hanoomansingh.
Hanoomansingh told them to raise their concerns with the Chinese embassy. “We have no problem being stopped from covering the event but the manner and context in which it was done was insulting,” Nanton said. Lan was surprised when questioned about the reports yesterday. “I have not seen or heard any reports. This is the first time I am hearing about this,” she said. She said there were no restrictions for any of the journalists covering the events and the situations described by journalists must have been a “misunderstanding.” “It was open to media, there should have been no problem.”
President of the Media Association (MATT) Suzanne Sheppard yesterday congratulated journalists for remaining calm in a negative situation. “The situation did not degenerate as it could have. They maintained professionalism despite an unpleasant situation,” Sheppard said. She agreed that there must have been a miscommunication or misunderstanding. She added: “What was reported is contrary to accepted courtesies and practices journalists are used to, especially when working with our colleagues in the foreign media.”