(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-17 09:27

BEIJING -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry lodged a solemn representation with the Beijing office of Cable News Network (CNN) here on Wednesday evening, condemning the network as "without any professional reputation".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao, who is also the Director-General of the Ministry's Information Department, said that a statement issued by CNN on Tuesday failed to apologize for its host Jack Cafferty's remarks, which maliciously attacked the Chinese people and seriously violated the professional ethics of journalism.

"CNN's ulterior motive to target the Chinese government and continue to mislead public opinion as well as deceive the Chinese people will never succeed", Liu said in a written statement issued late on Wednesday, stressing that justice would be on the side of the Chinese people.

Cafferty said in a TV show on April 9 that the Chinese products are "junk" and the Chinese people "basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years".

Cafferty's remarks drew indignation from Chinese at home and abroad, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu demanded an apology from  CNN as well as Cafferty himself.

CNN then issued a statement on Tuesday saying "it was not Mr. Cafferty's nor CNN's intent to cause offence to the Chinese people, and CNN would apologise to anyone who has interpreted the comments in this way". However, the network stated that Cafferty was offering his "strongly held" opinion of the Chinese government, not China's people.

"Journalistic professionals should abide by their ethics, and they don't have the privilege to slander or rail at anybody or any government", Liu said in the statement, noting that 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.

"We once again solemnly urge CNN and Cafferty to take back the vile remarks and make a sincere apology to all Chinese people", Liu stressed.