A Chinese state-controlled newspaper will no longer be automatically delivered daily to British lawmakers, after a push against the publication by a prominent Member of Parliament (MP) prompted a rule change on unsolicited deliveries within the House of Commons.
Parliamentary authorities initiated a review of unsolicited mailing after an official question by Conservative spokesperson for home affairs, Alicia Kearns, a long-time critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who sought to stop the automatic distribution of the paper.
On July 10, the chair of the House of Commons Administration Committee, Nick Smith, said that following the review the decision had been made to limit the size and weight of all bulk mailings to letters and reports only, effectively excluding newspapers.
She described the Chinese state-controlled newspaper as the CCP’s “blatant attempt … to create a false narrative on the many human rights atrocities they have committed and the immense security threat they present.”
China Daily is one of several major state mouthpieces controlled by the CCP’s Central Propaganda Department. The publication’s Chinese website says its English edition “actively publicizes and explains Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era,” and strives to influence public opinion in favor of communist-ruled China.
In March, the U.S. Committee on House Administration said it had blocked further distribution of China Daily in Congress, following calls by lawmakers to stop its distribution to elected officials and their assistants.