It later became extremely sensitive about other BBC programmes about China carried on the domestic services. A programme on Chairman Mao Zedong, based on a book by the Chinese leader's doctor and including allegations about his sex life, caused great anger. Programmes on ethnic tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang were also disliked. BBC World was broadcast to China until 1994 on the Hong Kong-based Star TV, but the contract was terminated when Rupert Murdoch bought the channel. BBC World hopes to reach other agreements with China, pointing out that this is the first time it has received permission to broadcast.
China is a vast potential market for British feature programmes.
BBC World is owned by BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, but carries reports from the BBC's news services. The BBC's overseas radio broadcasts to China have been jammed with varying degrees of severity, and news websites have been blocked. In an earlier statement Mr Zhu insisted that there would be no reassessment in Beijing of the 1989 events. China fired a pre-emptive verbal strike at George W Bush's incoming administration on Tuesday, saying that US plans to build a national missile defence system would trigger an arms race and jeopardise regional security.