Since that conversation, Eutelsat has completed at least two lucrative deals with Chinese state entities. In December 2010, Xinhua signed a contract to begin broadcasting its new English-language 24-hour news channel CNC World to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa via a Eutelsat satellite.166 In October 2011, Eutelsat became the first Western company to cooperate with China on a launching project, sending its W3C telecommunications satellite into orbit from Sichuan Province.167 Separately, in June 2012, the Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp (CIC) purchased a 7 percent stake in Eutelsat, creating even closer official ties to the company.168 Beyond this specific example, as of 2010, CCTV and other state-run channels were broadcasting on 37 different satellites. In a highly competitive industry, this opens the door for similar leverage to be applied on other companies if needed.169 Fortunately for NTDTV and its viewers, satellite firms in South Korea and Taiwan have signed contracts to broadcast its programming to China, partially filling the gap left by Eutelsat’s signal cut.170
Cyberattacks Target Outlets and Providers Like many Chinese activists and dissident websites, the four outlets under study face the incessant threat of cyberattacks, particularly denial-of-service and phishing attacks.171 This is one of their key ongoing challenges–and expenses. But particularly fierce and debilitating attacks occurred in 2011 and 2012 at politically significant times. In April 2012, at the height of the Bo Xilai scandal, a massive attack targeted not only Boxun’s servers, but also those of its U.S.-based domain name registration company.172 In an apparent attempt to threaten the company into neutralizing Boxun, the attack was preceded by an e-mail urging the service provider to cut off the news website.173 Evidence of direct Chinese government culpability in these acts is not conclusive, but the circumstances surrounding the incidents and the CCP’s general hostility to these outlets hint at official involvement. Alternatively, the acts reflect the consequences of official propaganda defaming the outlets and the atmosphere of impunity surrounding such attacks, prompting hackers to take action on their own.
Intimidating Advertisers, Sponsors, and Investors Alongside satellite companies and hosting service providers, other commercial partners of these outlets have come under pressure. Chinese officials have repeatedly urged local and multi-national businesses not to advertise with them, even when this may be in the corporations’ financial interest.
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