Radio jamming in China is a form ofcensorship in the People's Republic of China that involves deliberate attempts bystate orCommunist Party organs to interfere with radio broadcasts. In most instances, radio jamming targets foreign broadcasters, includingVoice of America (VOA), theBBC World Service,Sound of Hope (SOH) and stations based inTaiwan.
Radio jamming is achieved by transmitting radio signals on the same frequency as the intended target. The government of the People's Republic of China disrupts shortwave radio communications through this method, typically by broadcasting music, drumming, or other noise.[1] On shortwave, the jamming sound is usually composed ofChinese folk music, specifically a composition known asThe Firedrake, running one hour in duration. The one hour audio clip is sourced from theChinaSat 6B satellite (launched in 2007) and transmitted byrelay stations on the same frequencies used by target stations. High quality recordings ofThe Firedrake also exist on the internet.[2] On some occasions,China National Radio broadcasts are also used to jam target signals.[3]
The French defense electronics companyThales Group was accused of aiding Chinese censorship efforts by selling shortwave broadcasting equipment to Chinese authorities in 2008. The firm denied this, saying that the sale of equipment was for civil purposes.[4]
Since broadcasting began in 1996, Chinese authorities have consistently jammed Radio Free Asia broadcasts.[5] In 2002, theBroadcasting Board of Governors reported that "virtually all of VOA's and RFA's shortwave radio transmissions directed to China [...] are jammed," including theirMandarin,Cantonese,Tibetan, andUyghur language services.[6] In 2025, Radio Free Asia halted radio broadcasts in Mandarin and Tibetan.[7]
In 2008, theOslo-based Voice of Tibet reported that jamming of its radio communications intensified during the2008 Tibetan unrest, as authorities increased the number of disrupted signals it employed to block outside transmissions.[1]
Other targets for jamming include theBBC World Service,Radio Taiwan International, and theFalun Gong-affiliatedSound of Hope radio network.[8]
In 2011, some international radio broadcasters, including both the BBC and VOA, announced plans to scale down or close their Mandarin shortwave services for China due to spending cuts and frustrations caused by jamming efforts.[9][10] The BBC and VOA instead chose to invest more heavily inInternet radio; both received financial support from theU.S. Department of State to fund and research Internet censorship-circumvention software, such asFreegate andUltrasurf, to enable their Chinese audience to access their programs online.[11][12]
Broadcasters have also sought to educate their audiences on the use of anti-jamming technology.[13]
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