On the evening of April 16, 2008, Director-General of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jianchao summoned CNN's Beijing executives to lodge a solemn representation for its host Jack Cafferty's vile remarks against the Chinese people.

Liu said that the insulting remarks of Cafferty drew strong indignation from the Chinese people. The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the remarks and solemnly urged CNN and Cafferty to apologize to the Chinese people.

He pointed out that the statement issued by CNN on April 15 not only failed to apologize for Cafferty's words which seriously violate the professional ethics of journalism and maliciously attack the Chinese people but shifted the spearhead against the Chinese government in order to continue to mislead the public opinion. Such a vile motive to deceive the Chinese people will never succeed but will only make people around the world to realize CNN has no professional reputation at all. The righteous people and fair public opinion will be on the side of the Chinese people.

He stressed that journalistic professionals should abide by their ethics and don't have the privilege to slander or rail at anybody or any government. CNN's recent reporting programs completely went against the principles of being objective and balanced that the network often claimed as its basic standards for news coverage and even the moral standards. We once again solemnly urge CNN and Cafferty to take back the insulting remarks and make a sincere apology to all the Chinese people.