Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Reporter barred from Chinese minister's speech in Ottawa

A reporter from Sun Media based on Parliament Hill was barred from covering a speech by China's foreign minister. Christina Spencer, a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, was turned away from a meeting room at the Chateau Laurier Hotel when she attempted to join other journalists covering a speech by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who was due to address about 150 top Canadian business leaders at an luncheon organized by the Canada China Business Council. "She wasn't invited," a spokesman for the council told reporters who were given access to the ballroom where Yang was due to speak.

While no reason was given as to why Spencer was barred from the speech, she has for years written articles critical of China, including a column in 2001 for the Ottawa Citizen that called for a boycott of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Guests at the lunch included federal cabinet ministers Jim Flaherty and John Baird and former prime minister Joe Clark.

No comments:

Blog Archive