Prism: UO Stories // people
 
 


STORY LINKS

I. The Luoyang Fire
Guo gets his big break in Chinese media

II. Biography
Background information about Guo's life in Beijing

IV. Graduate school and beyond
Now a graduate communications student, Guo looks to the future of China's media


Link to one of Guo's articles from Kuwait


More of Aibing's pictures from the Middle East

War correspondent

Gou on the Iraqi border
Guo talking with a Kuwaiti soldier, who is standing in Iraqi territory. Just a few feet away, Guo is standing across the border in Kuwait.
When the Iraq war was about to break in March 2003, Guo had been working at China Daily for four years. He specialized in the airline and transportation beat, but he also covered some breaking news outside his beat. He began traveling frequently to Europe and other Asian countries to cover airline stories and attend conferences. As the chief editor of China Daily began selecting reporters to send to the Middle East, Guo was an attractive candidate: he knew English well, he had traveled extensively, he was well-versed in international news and he had a reputation for persevering to get the details of a story. When the chief editor asked if Guo was willing to go, he replied, "Yes, it's my dream."

Signing a paper declaring that China Daily was not responsible if he was hurt or killed abroad, Guo left with a team of two other people on March 2, 2003, for Istanbul, Turkey. After being denied twice for Iraqi visas in China, Guo and his team continued to apply for visas and waited for a chance to cross the border. The visas were allotted on a quota system; if someone left, then he could get in. Looking back though, Guo believes that it was just an excuse to block access into Iraq. In the interim, he stayed in Kuwait until the war broke on March 20, reporting on information provided by the American and English military bases.

Guo and his team continued to try to enter Iraq from border crossing checkpoints in Turkey, Iran and Jordan, encountering visa obstacles at all points. But along the borders, Guo was able to report on the refugee camps and news from the local governments, the U.S. Army, the UN, and the Red Cross as well as various anti-U.S. demonstrations. Guo covered a Jordanian student demonstration held after U.S. bombs killed several students who went to school in Iraq. The chanting students carried the coffins of the victims.

change this to relevant alt text
Guo waits for his first press briefing at the Coalition Command Center in Qatar.

After returning to Kuwait in early April, Guo and his team received the bittersweet news that they had finally obtained a visa to enter Iraq. However the Chinese government had made a decision to withdraw all media from the Middle East. According to Guo, the government wanted to preserve a neutral stance on the war and did not feel it could maintain that neutrality if members of the media were hurt or killed while covering the war. It was also a time when SARS was sweeping parts of northern China and China Daily needed reporters--two reporters at China Daily had contracted SARS, one later died, and many reporters were in quarantine.

Guo had no choice but to pack his things and return home as China Daily would no longer publish any of his stories, as mandated by the Chinese government. Before he returned however, Guo did visit Iraq. Because he obtained a visa, he was able to pick up a press card from the U.S. Army at the Coalition Command Center in Qatar. Guo visited the small southern city of Sufwan via special transport. There Guo took some pictures, talked with soldiers and observed the ruins left behind by an earlier U.S. bombing. On April 12, 2003, he returned to Beijing.

Back        Next