China has banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country, just days after British media regulator, Ofcom, revoked the China Global Television Network's (CGTN) licence to broadcast in the United Kingdom.

The Ofcom's decision came in the light of an investigation which concluded that the licence was wrongfully held by Star China Media Limited. Days later, China, which has often hit out at BBC for its reporting of novel coronavirus and persecution of Uighur Muslims, banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country.

Reacting to the development, the British broadcaster, in a statement, said that it was disappointed in the decision of Chinese authorities. "The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour," it added.

China's National Radio and Television Administration has accused BBC of broadcasting reports on China that "infringed the principles of truthfulness and impartiality in journalism."

BBC's reportage on Uighur Muslims:

Earlier this month, BBC published a report after having spoken to women, belonging to ethnic Uighur minority group, who alleged systematic rape, sexual assault and torture in what China refers to as "re-education" camps. The Chinese foreign ministry was quick to label it as a "false report".

But BBC is not the only one to report what the US last month termed as "genocide" of Uighurs and other Muslim groups at the hands of Chinese.

According to the US State Department estimates, up to two million Uighurs and others belonging to Muslim minority groups have been bundled into camps, which, China says, is necessary to flush out extremism.

Was BBC Broadcast in mainland China?

What purpose does the ban serve is a question that remains for many. The British broadcasters' World News service was never aired in mainland China or into the Chinese drawing rooms. The channel was only available in international hotels and some diplomatic quarters.

Former director of the BBC’s Global News division Richard Sambrook told CNBC the ban on airing BBC was a direct response to Ofcom's decision on CGTN.

The Chinese have responded in kind against BBC, said Sambrook, now the director of the Center of Journalism at Cardiff University. “China already bans BBC services in Chinese languages and to a large extent the BBC’s online site," he said. He added these moves were reminiscent of past years (during the cold war for example) when they were not considered unusual.

China-UK relations

The recent months have not been the best when it comes to the relations between the two countries. They took a fresh blow after China promulgated a new security law in Hong Kong, where not long ago a large pro-democracy protest swept the territory.

Last month, the United Kingdom had introduced a new visa granting Hong Kong residents to live in the UK. The UK has also accused China of suppressing the rights and freedoms of people of its former colony.