China Spins Tibet Crisis for the World

China retaliated today against the negative press that is flooding out of the Tibet crisis, the AP reports. Beijing released footage of Tibetan demonstrators assaulting Chinese, and blasted Western media such as CNN and Der Spiegel with claims of unfair coverage. Within Tibet, where foreign media is mostly banned, China continues to fill the void with its own version of events. It also increased its official death toll to 22.

The Dalai Lama’s exiled government counters that the actual death toll is 99. Within China, however, the government’s message stands alone and enjoys widespread public support. “They’ve successfully managed the messages,” said one Hong Kong University professor. “There will be no nuances to Tibet coverage.” (More Tibet stories.)