Turkey did not become a tool of the Western propaganda

Hu Xijin, Executive Editor of the Global Times, one of China's most important media outlets, which is publishing both in Chinese and English, spoke about himself and China for Aydinlik. Hu, is pointing that the Turkish government takes a positive attitude towards the Turkey-China relationship, and saying that “Turkey does not to interfere in China's internal affairs”.

First of all, can you introduce yourself? Turkey knows you quite a little. Who is Hu Xijin?

Actually, I am Huanqiu Shibao, an editor of a newspaper called ‘Global Times’ in China. Global Times is getting a lot of attention internationally, as much as it is getting attention in China. The United States of America, and Asian countries like South Korea and Japan follow the Global Times with a great curiosity. As an individual, I am getting attention almost as much a celebrity in the Chinese social media. I have 200 million followers in Chinese social media platforms, such as Sina and Weibo. So, I can say that I am quite a popular person both in social media, and press media. Actually, I was not actively using Twitter for a long time, only for 2 years. I can see that many people in the Western world are interested in my posts. For example, when I post a tweet and see the effects of my tweets on the American market, even I get shocked, how did it escalate like this... In fact, I would like to communicate with a wider audience and embrace the world via my social media accounts. Including Turkey, which I have visited during 2003 Iraq War.

‘I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH TURKEY’

Frankly, Turkey was a country that impressed me a lot. During my stay, I visited Ankara, Istanbul and a small village near the Turkish-Iraqi border. I had the chance to interview local people and local governments, who have lived there for years and this is one of the events that impressed me the most. Turkey is one of the most powerful countries in the Middle East and I have to say, that being here making an interview with you is, quite satisfying for me.

‘WE DO TARGET THE WEST, WE TARGET THE BLACK PROPAGANDA’

You often criticize the central media of the West! You're quite active on Twitter and you're always talking about it. Can you explain clearly what you are criticizing about?

Now, I do not take a stance to the America or Europe. But I remember very clearly during my school years, that we admired America and imagined America as a fantastic country. Let's face it, there are many developments that China needs to learn and adopt from the West, even today. But the United States has launched a campaign against China, and we are trying to uncover this injustice through the press and media. The West has established a human rights framework that only contains itself. But I do not know if they are aware of themselves. As the People's Republic of China, we have our own national values, but we do not have any opposing attitude towards the West. On the contrary, the West's interpretations and definitions of human rights hypotheses for China, are not objective and unfair. In order to see China's success and development in human rights, you can just look at the economic and social development of China, in the recent years. Every individual living in China, can feel this development with himself. Besides all this, the black propaganda coming from the West is quite large.

As a result, we have to fight with both the social media and the press media. As the Global Times, the topics of which we make critics with our social media contents, focuses mainly on this. We are not directly targeting countries, we are dealing with the unfair American policy on China and we are working to change this perception. That, is exactly what we are doing.

How do you evaluate the media system in the 21st century? Do the basic principles of journalism, for example the principle of serving the public interests, and the freedom of the people to reach the information, has remained valid globally?

Theoretically, the people should have the right to get information fairly. Unfortunately, it is difficult to achieve this internationally. Today's media is now largely driven by countries with major media outlets such as the United Kingdom and the United States. They have a very wide broadcasting circle and they are attracting all the people to this circle. They decide what everyone will see, and how much they will see. A great hegemony prevails here. This, makes the international media platform unfair. This is not easy to fight against, for China and also for Turkey. Developing countries need to fight against this monopolized media order.

‘THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT BASED ON THEIR POLICIES’

‘China Cables’ was an unprecedented journalistic activity. 17 Western media outlets published the same document at the same time. As an experienced journalist, how do you evaluate this?

Now there is such an environment that, the whole world is criticizing China over the Uyghur issue. They want to make it a big issue, and run a campaign against China. The purpose of the China Cable event, is to give themselves a complete foothold, perhaps to prove that they are right. This is a scheme they have created to verify themselves, because they needed it. The effect of the media is huge on the world, that is why they organized it. And this was a very successful scheme. Because they can only create this this perception of China, with this topic.

'THEY CANNOT ACCEPT CHINA'S SUCCESS'

Looking at the last few months; the Hong Kong issue, Uyghur issue, trade wars, NATO's London Declaration, US House of Representatives bill ... Where is China-US relations going to, how do you evaluate this? Is a new Cold War-like era waiting for us?

Of course, American-Chinese relations are at a tense point. The issue basically comes from the inability of America to accept China's success and development. So they imagine the worst political scenario for China, and think that they can prevent China's rise on this scenario. They think that China will threaten America's interests and eclipse America. It is very simple as a matter of fact, China continues to develop with great a determination, and America is not able to accept China's determination on this. Even the possibility of this annoys and upsets them. Because China can undermine America's domination of the world. America wants to remain as the only superpower, and that is the root cause of the problem between America and China. However, I do not believe that the problems between America and China will turn into a ‘Cold War’, and I do not think that history will repeat itself. The current relationship between the USA and China is very different from the relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union in the past.

'WE HAVE MUTUAL COMMON BENEFITS'

We live in a globalized world. We have common benefits, past and present are different and independent with each other. In 2018, approximately 63 billion dollars of trade was made between China and the USA. There are mutual investments worth $ 24 billion, and 3 million Chinese tourists visit America each year, with a GDP per capita income of $ 6,700. Likewise, Chinese students make up the largest foreign community in America. How can there be a Cold War in such a mutual interaction? These two countries have mutual common benefits.

There is such a small community of politicians in America, that are trying to drag us into situations we do not want. Thus, they want to end China's future and development. They have a rather fanatic approach, but many people do not agree. Nobody wants a military intervention. Obviously, these small provocative communities cannot make an impact on the world. On the other hand, they do not have the competence and capacity to make decisions on this issue.

As I said, America and China have a lot of common points. Although there is a slowdown for both sides in terms of trade relations, these two countries have no intention or courage to stop the trade or to cut the relations. Who would want a Cold War, who could cut down where there is so much mutual common benefit, of course no one wants this.

‘TURKISH PEOPLE SHOULD GIVE US A CHANCE’

Xinjiang issue is well known particularly when it comes to Turkey. The Turkish Government has not spoken of the Western hypotheses so far and this has drawn a lot of attention. How do you evaluate this attitude of the Turkish government, and the Turkish-Chinese relations in the Xinjiang context?

To evaluate the current situation of Turkish-Chinese relations, it shows a developing positive trend. As for the Uyghur issue, we are aware of the publications made about this issue in Turkey. To these aggressive attitudes towards China, the Turkish government prefers not to involve in China's internal affairs, and adopts a strategic silence policy. This attitude is quite a realistic step forward towards the improvement of Chinese-Turkish relations. Because if the Chinese-Turkish relations have deteriorated over the Uyghur issue, overall relations will be affected by this situation, and we would never want that.

I would like to say to the Turkish people; There are a lot of news about the Uyghur issue in the Western media sources, and I think the Turkish people are affected by these news. I think this is quite natural, because Western media have the power to influence even the Chinese public opinion. However, it should be known that these news are false and do not reflect the facts. My advice to the Turkish people is to investigate the Uyghur issue objectively and to obtain the true information.

There are many benefits given to Uyghurs as a minority in China. For example, a few years ago, while the Uyghurs had the right to have more than one child, we the Han Chinese people did not. Likewise, in the field of education, Uyghurs can go to a school with a lower score requirement, where a Han Chinese student cannot attend with the same scores. This is not possible for us Chinese. In fact, Uyghurs, like other ethnic minorities, have many privileges. There are so many news in the West; about human rights and the Uyghur issue, but what I want the Turkish people to do, is to look at the Uyghur issue from the side of China as well and give us a chance to tell us what the real situation is.

'HORRIBLE TERROR ATTACKS HAPPENED'

In recent years, there have been quite terrible terror attacks in the Uyghur Region of China and the actions of terrorism have increased. Nearly hundreds of people died every year. There have been so many terrorist attacks, I am talking abouts hundreds of people every year over here. This had become an ordinary thing in the Uyghur Region. Under these conditions, the economy cannot be expected to grow. People did not dare to go out on the streets at night. The tourism sector had fallen below zero and it became a place where no one could dare to go.

For example, in 2014, at that time which the Chinese media was not so modern and developed, the Chinese government did not show these issues because it would cause an increasing fear for the Uyghur region. However, there were terrible terrorist activities in that year. All of a sudden, they stopped the traffic, and many Chinese people (Han descendants) on the bus, on the road, were brutally killed. They killed all the people there, without mercy. I do not even know how many people died. Imagine a huge road, where no one could escape, and all the Chinese people there were killed. This event was not wanted to be shown on the news because the focus would be on the region and the fear of terrorism would grow. But this does not cover the horror of the event. Sidewalks, roads everywhere, was covered in blood. All the Chinese people were killed in traffic. Vehicles smashing inside the shops, trucks that crush pedestrians, attacks on civilians regardless of who they are with a knife, all of them took place in the Uyghur region.

TERROR FIGHTING CAMPAIGN

In order to prevent the increasing terrorist incidents, everyone living in the Uyghur region, each community was involved in a social responsibility movement. Every single person in that area contributed to this movement and worked for it. Not only those who were in education centers, but also people of many different ethnic backgrounds and many government officials contributed greatly to this movement. Everyone gave it all. In order to eliminate the predominant ideas of extremist terrorism prevailing in the Uyghur region, the Chinese government has worked hard to organize various actions. All of these to protect the Uyghur region, to make it safe and to change the perception of that region.

Those who were sent to the Uyghur region also suffered many problems. Officials were sent to the Uyghur region from within the government. They did not even have holidays. Government officials went to the villages to understand the problems of the local people better and lived there for 2-3 years. They talked to people one by one, trying to understand what their troubles were. They did their best to help them.

All of this, is a part of the great movement to change the Uyghur region. The Uyghur people are all open to this change and want a safe region. They all work with us to ensure security. But the West, declares this an imprisonment in concentration camps. The main point of the Western media is that these people should not be educated. This is the West's diversion.

If the Uyghur region had not entered such a comprehensive social movement, the situation of the Uyghur region could not be changed. After three years, peace was finally achieved in the Uyghur region today. Now look at the Uyghur region, how peaceful and safe it is now. This all happened in three years. In the Uyghur region, no one dies or gets injured. Life is the most important thing.

I want to say to you and to Turkey; see the real situation and do not just follow the Western media news. They are trying to put China into a difficult situation and drag it into chaos. They use everything; the Uyghur issue, Hong Kong…

'THE US USES HONG KONG'

When will the issues settle in Hong Kong? Do you see any possibility that things will return to normal in Hong Kong, as it was before? Is this possible?

The United States secretly supports the uprisings in Hong Kong. For us the one country two systems is in effect, so it will take a long time for Hong Kong to return to its original situation. The causes of the Hong Kong issue is very deep, and in fact there is a big issue underlying beneath. It is also based on the Chinese-American relations. America was expecting a spark to be flashed in Hong Kong. For Hong Kong, China will do its best and contribute, but our capabilities are limited because of the one country with 2 systems act. That's why Hong Kong's fate is still up to itself.

EXTRA:

'I HAVE READ TOLSTOY AND PUSHKIN IN RUSSIAN'

I have a special question, how did you study Russian Language and Literature and then started journalism? Who is your favorite Russian author?

During my Russian Language and Literature education, I have read many Russian classic works, the effects of them are great and they have profound meanings, for me. My Russian level was good at that time. For example, I read all of Tolstoy's works in Russian. Likewise, I read Pushkin's works, especially his poems. What Russian literature has taught me and its effects are enormous. Because at that time I was only a young boy at the age of 18, then I started learning Russian, I was 29 when I completed my master's degree, and all this time, has given a lot to me. I have read a lot of Russian literature during this time. The effect of me reading a lot was great, but then I realized that I like writing more. After graduation, I had the opportunity to teach Russian at the university, but I chose to write for a newspaper instead. I did well to choose journalism, that I could meet with you, I have the opportunity to travel around the world and I have seen so many great places, like Turkey, I did all that maybe not as a tourist but as a journalist.