Commentator Jack Cafferty (pictured) also raised mainland ire after he dismissed the Chinese authorities as “goons and thugs”. The incidents prompted demonstrations in China and a swathe of angry postings online, including death threats against CNN staff.
As public hostility continues, observers have suggested that, while it was unlikely that the bureau would be barred from operating in China, it and other organisations, including the BBC, may face stricter controls.
“Their ability to report during the Olympics may be curtailed,” said a source. “(The authorities) want glossy coverage of the Games, not reports of residents whose homes were ploughed to make way for them.”
