CHINA'S WOMAN OF COURAGE: EDITOR HU SHULI

UNCLAS BEIJING 001077 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR G/IWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL KWMN KPAO CH SUBJECT: CHINA'S WOMAN OF COURAGE: EDITOR HU SHULI REF: STATE 12871 ¶1. Embassy Beijing is pleased to nominate Hu Shuli, editor in chief of Caijing magazine, to receive the Secretary's inaugural International Women of Courage SIPDIS Award (ref). Hu has not just broken through the glass ceiling many professional women in China face -- she has shattered it. In doing so, she has become one of the most influential figures in Chinese publishing and serves as an inspiration to women and to journalists of both genders who are striving for a more equitable social, political and economic landscape in China. ¶2. Nomination details: Last name: Hu First name: Shuli Title: Editor in Chief, Caijing Magazine DPOB: January 29, 1953, Beijing, China Contact Information: Caijing Magazine Fanli Dasha, 10th floor 22 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie Beijing 100020 CHINA Tel. (8610) 6588-5047 Justification: Hu Shuli's goal is to bring objectivity and professionalism to China's print media. This is no easy task. The state continues to control the press in China and the Central Propaganda Department reprimands news outlets that publish content the censors deem inappropriate. Punishments can range from criticism to fines to editors losing their jobs. As editor in chief of the biweekly Caijing Magazine, which aspires to be China's version of The Economist, Hu encourages her reporters to constantly push the editorial envelope. In building her newsroom team, Hu has taken pains to bring aboard young journalists, women and men, who have little experience in traditional state media and who want to report stories straight, without an ideological tint. She often identifies the most promising among them and arranges graduate training in journalism in the United States. As a result, Caijing regularly runs groundbreaking exposes that reveal corruption and other misconduct in Chinese officialdom and among the business elite. At the same time, the magazine often risks unwelcome attention from the censors by venturing beyond business and into sensitive subjects related to health, the environment, law and politics. Caijing's opinion pages also feature guest columnists whose pieces question government policy, particularly in the areas of business and finance. All this adds up to make Caijing an invaluable read for decision-makers or anyone who wants a largely unvarnished view of what is going on in Chinese economics. Moreover, Hu is proof positive for Chinese women entering the workforce that when it comes to making a difference in the public square, gender bias can not only be overcome. It can be conquered, even in a field like journalism, which in China has been traditionally dominated by men. ¶3. Political officer Chris Klein follows the women's issues portfolio at Embassy Beijing. Contact info: (8610) 6532-3831, ext. 6742, or e-mail kleincc@state.gov. SEDNEY