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China Expands State Radio in Tibet as Independent Broadcasts Go Silent
China National Radio has rapidly expanded its Tibetan-language programming over the past year, filling an information vacuum created by the suspension of services from Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA), according to monitoring by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The Chinese state broadcaster has increased its Tibetan programs from one to seventeen in less than a year, based on data from the High Frequency Coordination Conference, an international organization that coordinates shortwave frequency use globally. This dramatic expansion coincides with the Trump administration’s efforts to restructure the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees RFA and VOA.
“The expansion of radio programming in Tibet by Chinese state media is a new, key part of Beijing’s strategy to promote a new world order in the information space by flooding it with propaganda,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF Asia-Pacific Advocacy Manager.
The timing appears strategic, with China capitalizing on the absence of independent media voices. Kari Lake, President Trump’s appointee to lead USAGM, has reportedly refused to restore Tibetan programming, exacerbating the situation.
China’s state media expansion in Tibet aligns with larger government objectives. In May 2025, during the 75th anniversary celebration of Chinese Tibetan Radio, Shen Haixiong, Deputy Head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Publicity Department, declared the goal was to ensure “the leader’s [Xi Jinping’s] thoughts penetrate the hearts of people of different ethnicities like a shower of honey.”
Tibet has long been described by press freedom advocates as an “information black hole.” The Chinese government strictly monitors and suppresses independent information sources, particularly those documenting human rights abuses against the Tibetan minority. Foreign journalists routinely face barriers to accessing the region, creating conditions where state media can dominate unchallenged.
“With the current suspension of VOA and RFA Tibetan services, and the expansion of Chinese state-media coverage, Tibetans inside Tibet say they are ‘missing their morning breakfast,'” said Kalsang Jigme, founder of the independent Tibet Radio and former VOA Tibetan service reporter.
The impact of losing RFA and VOA services extends beyond radio. These outlets provided crucial documentation of human rights abuses and cultural persecution while highlighting Tibetan resilience. Their broadcasts served as an information lifeline, helping listeners bypass Beijing’s information controls.
“The recent suspension of these services has allowed the Chinese Government, through the expansion of its own media outlets, to intensify efforts to promote its policies and ideology to win the hearts of Tibetans — something it has been unable to achieve in the past,” said Palden Gyal, former deputy director of RFA Tibetan services.
China’s information control strategy in Tibet extends beyond radio. In Ngari prefecture, authorities have banned private satellite reception equipment. In Coqên County alone, more than 3,500 government-installed satellite television sets have been placed in 17 villages, restricting access to external broadcasts. An official statement indicated plans to install similar systems across all 74 county-level administrative divisions in the Tibet Autonomous Region by the end of 2025, though verification is difficult due to restricted journalistic access.
The situation in Tibet reflects China’s broader efforts to reshape global media influence. Since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, the Chinese Communist Party has significantly tightened media controls while simultaneously expanding its international reach. The state-owned television network CGTN now broadcasts in more than 160 countries with online news services available in 43 languages.
RSF reports that China remains the world’s leading jailer of journalists, with 123 currently detained. The country ranks 178th out of 180 territories in the organization’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index, underscoring the severe restrictions on independent journalism.
The international press freedom group has called on USAGM to restore Tibetan-language programming and urged the broader international community to support independent Tibetan media outlets before audiences are left with only state-controlled information sources.
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9 Comments
This is a worrying development that merits close attention. Replacing independent Tibetan media with state-run propaganda is a clear attempt to restrict the flow of information and stifle alternative viewpoints. The international community should push for media freedom in the region.
It’s disappointing to see China exploit the absence of independent media in Tibet to further its propaganda agenda. Tibetans deserve access to diverse, fact-based journalism, not a government mouthpiece. This development warrants close monitoring and pressure for media freedom.
China’s rapid expansion of state media in Tibet is clearly a strategic move to fill the information void left by the suspension of independent outlets. This raises serious concerns about the erosion of media pluralism and freedom of expression in the region.
This is concerning. Expanding state-run media in Tibet at the expense of independent voices is a worrying development. I hope the international community closely monitors this situation and pushes for media freedom in the region.
Concerning to see China leveraging the absence of independent Tibetan media to flood the airwaves with state propaganda. This undermines the free flow of information and denies Tibetans access to objective reporting. The international community must hold China accountable.
This is a worrying development. Replacing independent Tibetan media with state-run propaganda is a blatant attempt to control the narrative and suppress alternative viewpoints. The international community should demand that China respect press freedoms in the region.
China’s crackdown on independent media in Tibet is troubling. Flooding the airwaves with government propaganda undermines the free flow of information and denies Tibetans access to unbiased reporting. This should raise alarm bells.
You’re right, this is a concerning trend that merits close scrutiny. Restricting independent media while expanding state control over information is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. The international community must hold China accountable.
The timing of China’s media expansion in Tibet is deeply troubling. Capitalizing on the absence of independent voices to amplify state narratives is a blatant attempt to control the information landscape. Tibetans deserve access to diverse, fact-based journalism.