Neutrality does not exist in journalism, Xinhua correspondent says. His goal: "to serve the country."

Deng Xianlai (left) chats with Jane Sasseen at the 2024 Tsinghua Business Journalism Forum at the National Press Club in Washington. (TSJC photo)

By DENG JIANYANG

Global Business Journalism reporter

There is no such thing as neutrality in international reporting, veteran Xinhua News Agency Washington correspondent Deng Xianlai told Tsinghua University students on Sept. 29.

 “Every report, every story, has its unique perspective — a perspective that represents the author's stance, or the stance of those backing it,” Deng told Global Business Journalism students in the “Hot Topics in the Global Economy” course. "I believe there is no absolute neutrality in journalism. Let me repeat: there is no absolute neutrality in journalism.”

While late 20^th century journalism operated largely under a theory of “objectivity,” where journalists supposedly wrote stories without a point of view, Deng said modern journalists come to their jobs with personal histories and professional brands they represent.

“For Chinese media like Xinhua, our reporting represents national interests and reflects the government's stance,” he noted.

A record-setting stint in Washington

Deng concluded a seven-year stint in Washington in the spring of 2025. It is the longest posting for a Xinhua reporter in the American capital. Now an editor on Xinhua News Agency's international news desk, he returned to his alma mater, Tsinghua University, to discuss his time in Washington, starting with his arrival.

"Why am I in Washington?” he asked himself. “From the day I arrived in the U.S., I kept thinking about this question."

Deng’s number one answer: "to serve the country."

Deng Xianlai sought to hold U.S. government officials accountable during press briefings. (Image by Wix AI)

He fulfilled that mission, in part, through tough questioning of U.S. government officials at press briefings. He grilled State Department spokesman Ned Price, for example, about Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

"The question I asked wasn't just about safeguarding our country's interests; more importantly, it was about posing a question difficult for U.S. officials to answer, digging for information not only Chinese audiences but global audiences wanted to know," he told the students.

Discovering the real America

His second mission as a correspondent in America was "to experience the U.S. firsthand." He particularly sought to reflect the real impact of the China-U.S. trade war on America's grassroots by conducting in-depth local reporting. In the remote mountains of Pennsylvania, James Hale, head of telecom company LHTC, told him, "From my perspective, Huawei's equipment was completely fine, performed very well, and we were very satisfied with the system." Yet, the company was forced to replace its perfectly functional Huawei gear because of anti-China requirements.

In Georgia, 74-year-old cotton farmer Bodie Ford, despite being a staunch Republican, firmly opposed the China-U.S. trade war. The elderly man said: "In the end, the two countries need to communicate properly and should engage in trade. I have many clients in China. It's thanks to them that I can sell my soybeans and cotton."

Deng summarized his period as a Washington correspondent using the contradictory phrases "golden period" and "tough period."

"Why 'tough period'? Because during my time in the U.S., high-level China-U.S. relations were deadlocked, even hitting rock bottom between 2021 and 2023," he said.

Bilateral relations soured during COVID-19 tensions, technological competition, and tit-for-tat restrictions on journalists’ visas. China expelled American reporters from Beijing, and Washington retaliated by dramatically reducing the visas available for Chinese journalists in D.C.

“While I wasn't directly affected, some of my Chinese colleagues were," Deng noted.

Xinhua's only remaining voice in Washington

The most difficult moment came in 2023, when "I was the only Xinhua reporter left in the entire Washington, D.C., area."

The diplomatic stalemate meant that Deng became the sole voice of the Chinese news service in the American capital.

"I could personally participate in reporting on and experiencing everything that happened,” he said. “For me, the experience itself was more important than the reporting — news events come and go, but the feelings from personal experience and the understanding accumulated are personal treasures that never fade."

After taking over coverage of U.S. foreign policy in 2022, Deng Xianlai soon encountered the busiest period of his career after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He covered Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a UN Security Council special session on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statements at major diplomatic events.

"Interestingly, at that time, there was almost no communication between the U.S. and Russia,” he said. “It was really special to see these world-famous political figures interact in such settings firsthand."

In October 2024, when Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon and the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated, he again questioned State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a press briefing: "What does the U.S. intend to do? Will it demand Israel cease fire? Will it explicitly tell them 'you can't fight like this'? Or will the U.S. support Israel no matter what it does?"

The response was: "The contents of private diplomatic conversations are not for public disclosure." It was a diplomatic formulation he was all too familiar with.

The best of times, the worst of times

Now back in Beijing, Deng reflects on his seven years in the U.S as "the best of times and the worst of times."

"The best of times" refers to personal growth: "This experience allowed me to personally participate in reporting on a critical period in China-U.S. relations, to interact with people and matters across different fields. Such growth opportunities are rare. Personal experience is the most precious asset

"The worst of times" points to the deteriorating work environment.

Despite some difficult experiences, Deng left the United States without bad feelings.

"No country is 'evil,'” he said. “The U.S. isn't, and China isn't either."

He plans to stay in China for the next two or three years, then work in another country. Maybe Russia.

"Life is finite, and there are so many countries and cultures in the world worth experiencing,” he said. “I want to see more different places."