China Central Television (CCTV), the national broadcaster, began airing US-produced programming from its studio in Washington this weekend, the Financial Times reported. CCTV America has hired more than 60 staff, and is modeling its expansion on the English-language strategy of the pan-Arab news channel Al Jazeera. The Saturday premiere of “The Heat,” a political talk show, focused on Chinese vice president Xi Jinping’s visit to Iowa. CCTV has been expanding its foreign-language content since 2009, but hopes that moving production to the US will improve standards and credibility. “The Chinese are a bit late to the game,” says Jim Laurie, a veteran broadcaster formerly with ABC News who has been advising CCTV since 2009, “But they feel they can offer alternative perspective, and report underreported stories.” The broadcaster also hopes to expand into areas where the BBC has cut back, for example in Latin America.