French defence electronics firm Thales has denied accusations by human rights campaigners that it sold equipment to China that has helped Beijing jam radio broadcasts. French philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy said in articles published in the past week that equipment sold by Thales was used to block foreign radio broadcasts into China, “particularly into areas such as Tibet”.
Media rights campaign group Reporters Without Borders has also said antennae manufactured by Thales is allowing China to interfere with radio broadcasts. Thales said a former subsidiary had indeed sold “standard shortwave radio broadcasting equipment to China” in 2002 but the equipment was designed for legal civil purposes.
“The equipment has been exclusively designed for general public radio broadcasting, and is identical with equipment installed in numerous countries worldwide,” Thales said in a statement. No other similar equipment was sold to China, it said.
(Source: Reuters/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
