China pulls BBC World News off air

Beijing, Feb 12: China's broadcasting regulator announced that it has pulled BBC World News from the air, while stating that the channel had seriously violated guidelines for reporting in the country.

China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said in a statement that reports about China were found to seriously violate broadcast guidelines, including the requirements that news should be truthful and fair and not harm China's national interests.

The move came after BBC aired a report on February 3 detailing the accounts of torture and sexual violence against Uighur women in Chinese camps.

The NRTA does not permit the BBC to continue broadcasting in China, and does not accept its new annual application for broadcast, the statement read.

While reacting to the move, The BBC said that it was disappointed. "The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour," a spokeswomen from The BBC said.