Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday, October 9, 1996

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (AFP) - The US State Department Tuesday rejected Beijing's criticism of the government-funded Radio Free Asia, saying that the broadcast service will give the Chinese people access to information.

"Radio Free Asia is here to stay," spokesman Nicholas Burns said. "We think the Chinese people ought to have access to information about economics, about politics, about western culture and ideas," he said.

His comment came in response to Chinese warnings that Washington's relations with Beijing could be harmed if the United States refuses to pull the plug on the Mandarin-language broadcasts that began just last week.

Foreign ministry spokesman Shen Guofang said the half-hour broadcasts, transmitted four times daily, had "a strong political leaning." He urged Washington not to use "the excuse of freedom of speech to interfere in (China's) internal affairs."

Radio Free Asia president Richard Richter separately said in a statement that that the reaction from China did not come as a surprise.

"We are reporting the news, and that's what they're objecting to," Richter said. "I think we were expecting the Chinese reaction and will continue to be a fair and objective news organization."

The new radio service is technically a private corporation but will be funded by about 10 million dollars annually in federal government grants.

Broadcasting began in Mandarin on September 30.

"We're confident that it's being heard in Beijing and Shanghai," programming director Dan Southerland said Tuesday, citing telephone contact with listeners.

Radio Free Asia hopes to launch its Tibetan-language service on November 15, he said.

In addition to mainland China, it will also target Burma, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea, and Vietnam, with plans to complement the US government-funded and -managed Voice of America.