Winter Olympics: Journalists say Chinese ‘guides’ are following them everywhere

Authorities are intimidating Chinese nationals who come into contact with foreign journalists

Chinese authorities are sending “guides” to trail foreign journalists at the Winter Olympics and intimidate residents who speak to them.

Several foreign correspondents said they had been assigned minders who prevent them from asking Chinese nationals any questions about the Games.

Antoine Morel, a journalist with France 24, posted a photo of a “guide” who was assigned “at the last moment to follow us everywhere and take back the people we ask questions if they deviate from the official discourse” while reporting outside the Olympic Village on Sunday.

En reportage à #Yanqing en dehors de la bulle, une "guide" nous a été attribué au dernier moment pour nous suivre partout et reprendre les gens à qui nous posons des questions s'ils s'écartent du discours officiel. pic.twitter.com/ftoxFIqKjm

— Antoine Morel (@Antwanmorel) February 6, 2022

Patrick Fok, a correspondent with Feature Story News, said he was warned not to ask anyone “how they are enjoying the Olympics”.

The reported crackdown comes amid increasing criticism from foreign media organisations of restrictions being imposed on them by the Chinese Communist Party.

On Saturday, Sjoerd den Daas, a correspondent with Dutch national broadcaster NOS, was “forcefully pulled” away from his camera during a live news show shortly before the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Den Daas remained calm and told the anchor in the Netherlands, “I fear we will have to come back to you later.”

After the incident, Den Daas tweeted that he and colleagues had been “hindered or stopped several times by the police while reporting on subjects related to the Games”.

“It’s hard to see last night’s incident as an isolated incident, as the IOC claims, although such interference rarely happens live on broadcast.”

The International Olympic Committee had claimed that journalists covering the games had “total freedom” within the Covid bubble of the Olympic Village.

However, Yang Shu, deputy director general of international relations for the Beijing Organising Committee said last month: “Any behaviour or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment.”