Central Propaganda Department: Without exception, do not report or comment on [information] about “Occupy Central” in Hong Kong that has not yet been unified and planned. Do not quote related information from overseas media or websites. Please strictly comply. (May 14, 2013)

中宣部：对香港“占领中环”行动一事未统一安排一律不报道、不评论，不转引境外媒体及网上相关消息。请严格遵照执行。

Protesters plan to “occupy” Central, the busy downtown of Hong Kong, in July 2014 if Hong Kong citizens do not have universal suffrage by that point. The International Herald Tribune covered Occupy Central in April, while the South China Morning Post has a page dedicated to the topic.

Guangdong Propaganda Department: On the evening of May 9, employee Wu Taihui jumped from the administrative offices of the Zhongyi Industrial Park in Dongguan. Except for [information] issued by authoritive departments, the media are to stop reporting and commenting on this incident. (May 15, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：5月9日晚东莞中意工业园行政办公楼发生的员工吴太辉坠楼事件，除权威部门发布外，各媒体不再报道，评论。

Wu, who had just been fired, was at the factory to settle his wages, according to his widow [zh].

Central Propaganda Department: The media are not to sensationalize, exaggerate, or comment on the incident in Wanning, Hainan Province in which an elementary school put female students in a hotel room overnight. You may report in an orderly manner according to information issued by authoritative departments. (May 15, 2013)

中宣部：关于海南万宁小学带女学生开房过夜一事，各媒体不炒作渲染、不评论。可依据权威部门发布的信息有序报道。

Four girls were brought to a hotel room in Wanning and sexually assaulted by their school headmaster. A government official brought another two girls to a hotel in nearby Haikou. Doctors who examined the girls reported they are still virgins, but they were bruised and appear “groggy” in surveillance footage.

CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, children's rights, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, dongguan, Guangdong, Hainan, hong kong elections, Ministry of Truth, Occupy Central, occupy movement, propaganda, sexual violence, suicide
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Zhu Jianguo, an independent political commentator based in Shenzhen, said: “Hu is relatively stronger than [predecessor] Wang Yang as he responds to issues with actions instead of the fancy catchphrases that Wang was known for.

[...] ”He is more practical than Wang Yang. Instead of getting rid of small and medium-sized enterprises from Guangdong, Hu has adopted a more nurturing approach to moderate economic restructuring.”

[...] As party chief of Inner Mongolia for five years before moving to Guangdong, Hu increased economic growth, almost tripling the autonomous region’s per capita gross domestic product to more than US$10,000.

But Professor Niu Haipeng , of Renmin University, was quoted recently as saying that Hu Chunhua had established a worrying environmental record in the process, with growth achieved at the cost of environmental degradation and public health.

The article also mentions that during the Southern Weekly censorship incident this January, Hu, in order not to clash with his local propaganda comrades, failed to defend Guangdong’s tradition of relative press freedom.

See also “Little Hu” Thrown into the Guangdong Fire, via CDT.

See more on Hu Chunhua via CDT.

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Post tags: CCP 6th generation, Guangdong, Hu Chunhua, local officials, officials, press freedom, Southern Weekly, southern weekly protest 2013, Wang Yang
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His low-profile, opaque political agenda and seeming reluctance to outline his own policy ideas combined to make the rising political star almost invisible at the NPC meeting, China’s most important annual political event. His discreetness could be a strategy to hide his capabilities and bide his time – a self-preservation instinct that could help him grow wings before they are clipped prematurely.

If Hu does well in Guangdong, he is expected to be rewarded with membership of the Communist Party’s supreme decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, in just under five years.

It is believed by many China watchers that the reason that Wang was unable to get into the Politburo Standing Committee in November was that his high-profile, reformist image was not well received by party elders.

Lau adds that Hu’s dark grey hair can “best be described as salt and pepper, with plenty of white mixed in with the grey.”  He did not have much time to get comfortable in his new seat, as a face-off broke out in early January between propaganda officials and journalists at the Southern Weekly newspaper over a rewriting of the liberal publication’s New Year greeting. And earlier this month, a police blockade around the village of Shangpu evoked memories of Wukan as residents demanded democratic elections and challenged the local village head over a disputed land deal.

Hu’s handling of these incidents offers clues about his management style, according to Reuters, as his local performance will affect his chances for promotion to the upper echelons of China’s central government. But the Diplomat’s Zachary Keck claims that Hu has backtracked on the agreed terms that ended the Southern Weekly incident, and his government’s response to the Shangpu crisis “oscillated between insufficient repression and insufficient concessions,” performances that will likely come under heavy scrutiny in Beijing:

That being said, these incidents in no way doom Hu’s future prospects in the Communist Party in the same way that stalled economic growth might. Still, if President Xi Jinping is like his predecessors his early tenure will be characterized attempts to shore up his power base. This usually includes, among other things, diminishing predecessors’ ability to exercise influence through well-placed political allies, which former President Hu Jintao has in spades.

It’s not clear if Xi Jinping will seek to diminish Hu Jintao’s influence by targeting his allies and protégés. Ling Jihua’s fate certainly suggests he might, whereas his decision to make Li Yuanchao vice president suggests he may not be all that concerned about the former president’s protégés after all.

Still, if Xi does move against the Hu Jintao-led Communist Youth League faction, Little Hu will want to avoid giving Xi any ammunition to target him directly.

Read more about Hu Chunhua via CDT.

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Post tags: CCP 6th generation, Guangdong, Hu Chunhua, land grabs, mass incidents, Shangpu, Southern Weekly
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A street fire in Shangpu.

Central Propaganda Department: Outsiders have entered and vandalized Shangpu Village in Mianhu Town, Jiexi County, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. The incident has caught a fair amount of foreign attention, and foreign journalists are already on their way there. The media are not to send reporters. (March 13, 2013)
中宣部：广东省揭阳市揭西县棉湖镇上浦村外人进村打砸事件，境外较关注，已有境外媒体前往，各媒体不要派记者去。

CDT Chinese has collected images (GRAPHIC) and weibo from clashes with the police [zh].

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Guangdong, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, Shangpu
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Standoff in Shangpu: Protests continue in the Guangdong village, where residents say as much as 33.33 hectars (82 acres) of land were leased on a 50-year contract to village chief Li Baoyu. Just as in the siege of Wukan in December 2011, Shangpu is demanding village elections. The Financial Times has more on the developing story.
- Shangpu (上浦) （新闻背景：金融时报 | 广东上浦村：下一个乌坎？）
- Mianhu (棉湖): The town which administers Shangpu.

Creative “Spellings” of Wu Bangguo (吴邦国): Wu, whose term as chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee is now ending, told the convening Congress that they must guarantee every one of its goals “is beneficial to the Party’s hold on power, and beneficial to guaranteeing that the Party leaders and the people effectively govern the nation” (有利于党的执政地位，有利于保证党领导人民有效治理国家). Netizens have been writing Wu’s name using homophonous characters. The following alternative “spellings” are now blocked:
- 吴绑国
- 吴帮国
- 误帮国
- 无帮国
- 无邦国
- 误邦国

Other:
- news blackout (新闻封锁)

All Chinese-language words are tested using simplified characters. The same terms in traditional characters occasionally return different results.

Browse all of CDT’s collected sensitive words in this bilingual Google spreadsheet.

CDT Chinese runs a project that crowd-sources filtered keywords on Sina Weibo search. CDT independently tests the keywords before posting them, but some searches later become accessible again. We welcome readers to contribute to this project so that we can include the most up-to-date information. To add words, check out the form at the bottom of CDT Chinese’s latest sensitive words post.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, Guangdong, Internet censorship, Ministry of Truth, NPC 2013, Sensitive Words Series, Shangpu, weibo, Wu Bangguo
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A woman selling fruit on the street was roughed up by chengguan as her toddler looked on.

Guangdong Propaganda Department: On March 6, a conflict arose with a female peddler while Chigang Road, Haizhu District [Guangzhou] chengguan law enforcement officers on Guangzhou Avenue. The relevant departments in Haizhu are already in the process of investigating and handling the matter. The media are asked to report according to information issued by the relevant departments in Haizhu and to downplay the story. Do not put it on the front page or lure readers to it. (March 7, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：3月6日海珠区赤岗街城管执法人员在广州大道南执法过程中，与一名女小贩发生冲突，海珠区有关部门已就此事进行调查处理，请各媒体按海珠区相关部门发布的信息报道淡化处理，不上头版和导读。

Photos from the standoff, during which the woman was manhandled in front of her toddler, have widely circulated on Weibo. China Media Project has more on the story.

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, chengguan, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Guangdong, Ministry of Truth, propaganda
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At the main entrance of the village of 3,000 people, 40 police and officials stood guard, barring outside vehicles from entering. Not far away, a cloth banner read: “Strongly request legal, democratic elections.”

Shangpu’s two-storey houses, typical of the region, and low-slung family-run workshops are surrounded by fields awaiting spring planting. But the main street is lined with the wrecks of cars damaged in the clash, with glass and metal littering the ground.

Residents said they should have the right to vote both for the leader who represents them and on whether to approve a controversial proposal to transform rice fields into an industrial zone.

“This should be decided by a vote by villagers,” said one of the protest leaders, adding: “The village chief should represent our interests, but he doesn’t.”

Residents told AFP that the village chief and party head fraudulently collected signatures to facilitate the transfer of farmland to a local businessman for industrial use, and they fear they will not be properly compensated. China’s state-run Global Times reported on Monday that the county-level public security bureau arrested the village leader and eight others it claims were hired by the village leader to attack the Shangpu residents:

County authorities said that on the morning of February 22, village committee director, Li Baoyu, called police to report he was attacked in his office and injured by six masked thugs. Less than an hour later, police say, Li hired his own thugs from other villages and ordered them to attack residents of Shangpu village, said the newspaper.

According to county police the fight injured four residents and damaged at least 26 vehicles, two of which were burned. Police earlier arrested Li, and on Friday eight other assailants were detained. The police are still hunting for 10 other men.

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Post tags: corruption, democracy, Guangdong, land grab protests, mass incidents, Shangpu, village elections, Wukan
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Guangdong Propaganda Department: The relevant departments are in the process of investigating recent online reports of suspected corruption on the part of Gaoming District, Foshan NPC Standing Committee Deputy Director Lu Zhiran. The media is to cease covering and commenting on this incident until the results of the investigation have been officially released. (March 1, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：近日网络举报佛山高明区人大常委会常务副主任陆帜然涉嫌贪污一事有关部门正在调查，在调查结果正式公布前各媒体暂不再自行报道、评论。

Lu and his family allegedly own multiple properties worth over 100 million yuan, including a six-story mansion [zh].

Guangdong Propaganda Department: The media are to cease voluntary investigation and coverage of the violation of protocol at the Zhongying Street certificate office of the Sixth Detachment of the Guangdong Frontier Armed Police. When necessary, report in accordance with official statements issued by the detachment and play down the issue. (March 1, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：对广东边防武警六支队中英街办证中心人员涉嫌违规办证问题，各媒体不再自行采访报道，必要时按该支队发布的通稿刊播，并淡化处理。

Guangdong Propaganda Department: Strictly follow news wire copy released by the Huizhou Discipline Inspection Committee in reporting the case of Huizhou Chengguan Department Director Zhong Zhaoyang’s luxury villa and other issues of violation of protocol. Do not make the story prominent or lure readers to it. Do not produce other reports or commentaries. (March 1, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：关于网络举报惠州城管局局长钟朝阳拥有豪华别墅及其它违规问题调查结果的报道，严格按惠州纪委新闻通稿刊播，不上头版和导读，不作其它报道评论。

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Guangdong, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, official corruption, propaganda
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Guangdong Propaganda Department: With regards to the issue of the flow of rice (contaminated with heavy metal) from Hunan to Nanyue, report in strict accordance with information from authoritative bureaus. Do not sensationalize the story, make it prominent, or lure people to it. We reiterate that the media may not investigate or comment on strikes, sit-ins, petitions, or similar activities without prior authorization. (February 27, 2013)

广东省委宣传部: 对三湘问题大米流向南粤一事及相关问题，严格按权威部门发布的信息刊播，不炒作，不上头版导读。重申对罢工、静坐、上访等行为，各媒体不得擅自采访报道评论。

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

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Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Guangdong, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda
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Central Propaganda Department: In covering the Guangdong pilot program for government officials to report their [personal] finances, proceed according to unified planning from the Central Committee’s Commission for Discipline Inspection. All media are to cease independent reporting and commentary for the time being. (February 6, 2013)

中宣部：有关广东官员财产申报试点工作的报道，按中纪委统一安排进行，各媒体暂不再自行报道评论。

The Guangdong Propaganda Department issued a similar directive on January 24.

Central Propaganda Department: The State Council recently endorsed “Several Points on Deepening Income Distribution Reform.” All media are to cover this according to Xinhua wire copy. Do not change headlines, put the story on the front page, or lure readers to it. Except for wire copy, do not produce any other form of report, commentary, or link. Do not post it on media’s official Weibo account. (February 6, 2013)

中宣部：近日国务院批转了《关于深化收入分配制度改革的若干意见》，各媒体严格按新华社通稿刊播，不改标题、不上头版导读，除通稿外不做其他任何形式报道、评论和链接，媒体官方微博不转载。

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, financial disclosure, Guangdong, income distribution, Internet censorship, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, wealth gap, weibo
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In a panel discussion on Friday afternoon, Hu told the provincial legislative congress that the gross domestic product of Jiangsu province was catching up quickly with Guangdong, according to a China News Service report.

Hu said that whichever province earned the No1 ranking for GDP growth would attract even more investment.

The comment came in stark contrast to Hu’s predecessor, Wang Yang, who told local officials a year ago to focus more on industrial upgrades and social reform, while keeping a cool head about GDP.

Echoing Hu’s remarks, the director of Guangdong’s statistics bureau, Xing Xiaowei warned that Jiangsu, whose GDP expanded by 10.1 per cent in 2012, would overtake Guangdong in 2015 “if we do not accelerate our pace”, the Guangdong party mouthpiece, Nanfang Daily, reported on Saturday.

Guangdong’s GDP grew 10.2 percent in 2012, according to a government work report released last week, tops in the nation.

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Post tags: economic growth, GDP, Guangdong, Hu Chunhua, investment, Jiangsu
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The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by central government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.”

Guangdong Propaganda Department: No media are to sensationalize the topic of government officials making public their personal assets or related issues. Do not place reports on the front page, and do not lure readers to coverage. (January 24, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：关于政府公务员财产公示及相关问题，各媒体不炒作，不上头版和导读。

CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Guangdong Propaganda Department: Regarding the secretary of the provincial People’s Congress and the governor’s statements during discussions among leaders, all media are to cover this strictly according to news wire copy. Do not independently produce any other type of report. (January 24, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：关于省人大会议书记、省长下组讨论发言，各媒体一律严格按新闻通稿刊播，不自行作其它任何报道。

Guangdong Propaganda Department: Do not report or comment on issues concerning Guangdong Lanyue Energy Ltd. (January 24, 2013)

广东省委宣传部: 对广东蓝粤能源有限公司有关问题不报、不评。

Guangdong Propaganda Department: When covering the income allocation of provincial officials, use the authoritative notices issued by the Department of Human Resources and Social Security as the standard. Do not independently produce reports or commentary. (January 24, 2013)

广东省委宣传部: 对我省公务员收入分配的报道，以人社部门发布的权威信息为准，不作自行报道评论。

Guangdong Propaganda Department: During the group discussion of the Zhongshan district delegation at the provincial People’s Congress, Li Yumei mentioned a case under investigation in which a main level cadre embezzled public funds for a family grave. Without exception, no media will report this. (January 25, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：李玉妹在参加人大会中山团分组讨论时讲到目前正在查处一正厅级干部挪用公款修祖坟一事，各媒体一律不报道。

Guangdong Propaganda Department: During the provincial People’s Congress and People’s Consultative Conference meetings, all media must earnestly deploy the requests set forth at the previous propaganda meeting. Strictly control negative coverage (in principle, such reports should not be featured prominently). Except for wire copy, content which touches upon provincial and municipal leaders’ statements must be submitted for approval according to regulation. Be sure to make final checks on reports about statements made at the People’s Political Consultative Conference. Do not make obvious revisions to content that touches on sensitive issues. (January 26, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：省两会期间，各媒体认真按此前宣传会议的部署要求，严格控制负面报道（原则上不放头条导读）；除通稿外，对涉及省市级领导的发言内容稿件，要按规定送审；对政协大会发言的报道要注意把关，对涉敏感话题内容不作突岀处理。

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, financial disclosure, Guangdong, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda
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A man injured in yesterday’s suicide bombing in Guangzhou.

The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by central government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.”

Guangdong Propaganda Department: The media are only to produce simple reports on the conflict between the proprietor of Guangzhou Jinxiu Heung Kong Gardens and public security. Do not sensationalize the story. (January 19, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：对广州锦绣香江花园业主与保安发生的冲突，各媒体只作简单报道，不炒作。

Jinxiu Heung Kong [zh] is an elite residential community owned by the Heung Kong Group.

Guangdong Propaganda Department: Regarding the explosion in a capital residence in the Yuancun Erheng Lu neighborhood in Guangzhou’s Tianhe District and the casualties suffered: if covering the incident, strictly adhere to information issued by the city Public Security Bureau. Do not put the story on the front page or lure readers to it. Do not exaggerate or sensationalize it. (January 19, 2012)

广东省委宣传部：有关天河区员村二横路小区都市华庭一住房内发生爆炸造成人员伤亡事件，各媒体如作报道，严格按市公安局发布的信息报道，不上头版导读，不渲染炒作。

A man blew himself up in a residential community after a labor dispute, killing himself and injuring eight. Beijing Cream has covered this story.

CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

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Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Heung Kong, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda
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A source close to Guangdong’s provincial government said Wang Genghui, a deputy editor-in-chief of Nanfang Media Group, which owns the newspaper, had taken over from Huang Can, Southern Weekly’s editor-in-chief since 2009. Huang had been sidelined and was likely to be transferred to another post in the group.

“Wang has a rather popular image as he is more willing to listen to editors and journalists,” the source said. “But this is likely to be a transitional role to restore normal operation at the newspaper as soon as possible.”

This week’s newspaper included a veiled protest saying that editorial procedures should be respected and made corrections – a typographical error, the erroneous numbering of the edition and a factual flaw that said flood control work by “Yu the Great” happened 2,000 years ago, instead of 4,000 years ago.

A comment below the corrections, signed by editorial staff, read: “Newspaper mistakes are always in black and white. In every link of editing and publishing a newspaper, its standard processes should always be respected and followed. We have never been more keenly aware of this.”

A report at Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, meanwhile, described Xi Jinping’s alleged displeasure at propaganda chief Liu Yunshan’s handling of the affair. Though the account is based on information from unnamed sources, Bill Bishop commented in his Sinocism newsletter that “[I] hear from other reporters that this report could be credible, that this paper has had other scoops recently..if true then very interesting.” One sign of the report’s accuracy might come in or after March when, it predicts, Guangdong propaganda chief Tuo Zhen will be removed from his post.

At a meeting in Zhongnanhai in Beijing on the night of Jan. 9, Xi, visibly displeased, asked if the media control division was not adding to confusion, sources familiar with the discussions said.

[…] Liu had decided to impose penalties, including dismissals, against editors and reporters who disobeyed the order. But Xi gave instructions not to punish journalists who protested the propaganda department, according to a party source formerly involved in media control.

Xi has apparently attempted to contain the fallout even by accepting demands from Southern Weekly reporters.

He decided to remove the chief of the propaganda department of the Guangdong provincial party committee, who led prior screening of the Southern Weekly.

The official is not expected to leave the post until at least March, when the National People’s Congress is scheduled to convene, because an immediate removal would reveal confusion within the party.

In particular, Xi reportedly suggested, Liu’s order for other outlets to republish a Global Times editorial expressing the Party line had turned a local problem into a wider one. (The order was conveyed by a Central Propaganda Department directive obtained and published by CDT.) Certainly, it spread the stand-off as far as Southern Weekly’s half-sister, the Beijing News, which initially refused to republish the article at all, and eventually buried an abbreviated version under a non-committal headline deep within the paper. At Reuters, Sui-Lee Wee described what had threatened to become the Beijing News’ last stand:

“This is the first time in China’s history, with the exception of June 4th, that there’s been such a large-scale collective protest by Chinese journalists against the central government’s propaganda department’s restrictions and suppression,” said Cheng Yizhong, who co-founded the Beijing News with Dai [Zhigeng], referring to the Tiananmen Square protests.

But Cheng said he expected no improvement in freedoms, predicting authorities would try to pre-empt any direct challenges by strengthening controls over social media. Cheng was arrested in 2004 on embezzlement charges that his supporters said were politically motivated. He was later released.

The editor at the Beijing News said management had warned staff not to talk about the incident, especially to foreign reporters, who “could make the higher-ups lose face”.

“It’s possible that after this, they might settle scores.”

© Samuel Wade for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Asahi Shimbun, Beijing News, Cheng Yizhong, Guangdong, June 4th, Liu Yunshan, media censorship, news media, newspapers, press freedom, Southern Media Group, Southern Weekly, southern weekly protest 2013, Tuo Zhen, Xi Jinping
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Guangdong Propaganda Department: With regards to today’s second plenum of the 11th provincial Party committee, except for unified arrangements, report in strict accordance with wire copy, no exceptions. Do not voluntarily produce other reports. (January 17, 2013)

广东省委宣传部：关于今天省委十一届二次全会的报道，除统一安排外，一律严格按通稿刊播，不自行做其他报道。

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to those instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date on CDT Chinese is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

© Anne.Henochowicz for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Guangdong, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda
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