Protesters in Kunming. View more photos from today’s events at CDT Chinese. (@明明悠阳)

Central Propaganda Department: Without exception, do not republish, report, or comment on the assembly of the masses in Kunming to protest the construction of a PetroChina oil refinery.

中宣部：对昆明群众反对中石油云南炼油项目聚集一事，一律不转不报不评。

State Internet Information Office: All websites are asked to remove text, images, and video related to the protest of over 1,000 people in Kunming city center against the Anning PX construction plan. Interactive platforms must strictly monitor activity. (May 16, 2013)

网信办：请各网站删除关于昆明上千市民聚集市中心抗议安宁PX项目的文字、图片、视频等相关信息。互动环节要严格把关。

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, environmental protests, Internet censorship, Kunming, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, protests, Yunnan
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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 Do not quote related information from overseas media or websites.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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Central Propaganda Department: Tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake. Please ensure that you strictly comply with the related reporting requests distributed earlier. Maintain positive coverage. Do not produce negative or sensational material. Do not produce reflections on so-called aftereffects. Increase checking of commentary. The leadership of media organizations are asked to personally examine all work. (May 11, 2013)

中宣部：明天是汶川地震五周年，请各媒体严格按此前下发的有关报道要求把好关，要坚持正面报道，不作负面炒作，不作对所谓后遗症的反思，加强对评论的把关，请各媒体主要领导亲自把关工作。

The “aftereffects” of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which claimed about 70,000 lives, likely refers to concerns that dams and reservoirs have caused seismic activity. Zhang Hongtao, chief engineer of the Ministry of Land and Resources, called the 2010 mudslide in Gansu Province an “aftereffect” of geological changes wrought by the Wenchuan earthquake [zh]. The Zipingpu Reservoir may have contributed to the 2008 quake, as well as the 6.6 magnitude quake that hit Sichuan last month.

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: 2008 Sichuan earthquake, 2013 Sichuan earthquake, censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, Wenchuan
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Central Propaganda Department: The media are to cover all types of suicide cases in strict accordance with wire copy issued by authoritative judicial departments. Do not sensationalize or play up these stories, and do not independently investigate, report, or comment on them. (May 10, 2013)

中宣部：对各种自杀案件，各媒体严格按照司法权威部门发布的通稿刊播，不炒作渲染，不自行采访报道评论。

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, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, suicide
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Protesters in Beijing yesterday want justice for Yuan Liya, who died on the morning of May 3. (via FreeWeibo)

Beijing Internet Supervision Office: Urgent Notice: Websites which have already posted news about the incident of the young Anhui woman who jumped from the Jingwen shopping center to her death must turn down the heat on coverage. You are not permitted to put the story on the homepage or make it the lead story. Websites which have not yet posted the story may only repost Peaceful Beijing [Beijing Public Security Bureau] weibo. Other information or images related to the incident must be completely erased. Please rigorously implement these work requests. (May 8, 2013)

北京市网监：紧急通知：关于安徽籍女青年京温商城坠楼一事，已发布新闻的网站，必须降低热度，不允许出现在首页及新闻头条。未发新闻的网站，只能转发平安北京的微博。其它关于此事的信息和图片全部清理，请各网站严格落实工作要求。

Hundreds protested in Beijing yesterday to call for a thorough investigation into the May 3 death of 22-year-old Anhui migrant Yuan Liya. The authorities have said Yuan committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of Jingwen shopping center, where she worked a late night shift, but rumors spread online that she was raped by mall security guards and thrown from the building. Yuan’s family is pushing to have closed circuit video of the incident released.

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: Anhui, Beijing, censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, protests, Yuan Liya
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“No Kunming PX.” (via FreeWeibo)

The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.

Central Propaganda Department: With regards to the China National Petroleum Corp. oil refinery planned for Anning, Yunnan Province, report in strict accordance with Xinhua wire copy or authoritative information formally issued by the local government in the region. Do not speculate, do not comment, and do not send reports to investigate. (May 8, 2013)

中宣部：对云南安宁中石油炼油项目相关问题，严格按新华社通稿，或当地政府正式发布的权威消息报道，不炒作、不评论，不派记者到当地采访。

On Saturday, residents of Kunming, the capital of southwestern Yunnan Province, protested construction of an oil refinery in nearby Anning. The plant would process the hazardous chemical p-Xylene (PX). While the protests were peaceful and unhindered by the police, the future of the project remains uncertain.

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, environmental protests, Kunming PX, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, protests, PX
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The Chinese Patient, by Crazy Crab of Hexie Farm for CDT:

Read more about Hexie Farm’s CDT series, including a Q&A with the anonymous cartoonist, and see all cartoons so far in the series.

[CDT owns the copyright for all cartoons in the Hexie Farm CDT series. Please do not reproduce without receiving prior permission from CDT.]

© Sophie Beach for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chinese Dream, hexie farm, political cartoons, political slogans, propaganda, Xi Jinping
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Central Propaganda Department: With regards to the assembly of some non-residents in front of Jingwen Market in Fengtai District, Beijing because a young Anhui woman jumped to her death, and related issues: report in strict accordance with wire copy from the relevant departments; shut down website comment sections; and without exception, do not use information from any other sources in your reporting.

We reiterate the spirit of notifications concerning the case of Zhu Ling’s thallium poisoning. Please comply with orders. (May 8, 2013)

中宣部：有关5月8日北京部分外来人员因一名安徽籍女青年坠楼在丰台区京温商场门前聚集一事及相关问题，要严格按有关部门通稿刊播，网站关闭评论，一律不采用其他渠道的信息进行报导。

再次重申关于朱令铊中毒案通知精神，请务必遵照执行。

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, Ministry of Truth, petitions, propaganda, protests, Yuan Liya, Zhu Ling
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Chinese netizens mark Obama as a modern-day Bao Qingtian. “How did I become the director of the Bureau of Letters and Calls?” he asks. “Aren’t you interfering in our country’s internal affairs?” (Dashixiong @大尸凶的漫画)

Central Propaganda Department: If producing reports concerning the thallium poisoning of Tsinghua University student Zhu Ling, all media and website coverage must without exception accord authoritative information from the relevant Beijing municipal departments. Do not challenge [the information from the authorities] and do not sensationalize the story. (May 7, 2013)

中宣部：有关清华大学朱令铊中毒案，各媒体及网站如作报道，一律按北京市有关部门发布的权威信息刊播，不质疑，不炒作。

After the poisoning death of a Fudan University student last month, Zhu Ling’s 19-year-old case roared back to life on the Chinese Internet. Many netizens suspect Zhu’s former roommate, Sun Wei, now lives in the U.S. and goes by Jasmine Sun. A petition on the White House platform We the People to “investigate and deport” Sun, posted on May 3, now has over 131,000 signatures, exceeding the threshold for an official response from the Obama administration. The petition is a hot topic on Weibo, where netizens are echoing journalist Luo Changping’s remark that the White House is now the “Bureau of Letters and Calls of the People’s Republic of China.”

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, Ministry of Truth, petitions, propaganda, Tsinghua University, We the People, Zhu Ling
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For NPR, Louisa Lim digs deeper to find out what exactly the “Chinese dream” means to various people in Chinese society:

The man who first made the phrase famous, Senior Col. Liu Mingfu of the People’s Liberation Army, is uncompromising about what he sees as the main planks of the Chinese dream.

“One, it means to be No. 1 in the world. Secondly, it’s the rejuvenation of the nation,” he says.

Liu wrote a book called The China Dream three years ago, which is now taught in Chinese military schools alongside the work of Carl von Clausewitz. To Liu’s great delight, it’s also mentioned in former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s book On China.

In the book, Liu argues that China needs to return to its former glory — as the world’s top superpower. He is sure that President Xi’s version of the China dream is the same as his.

“I’m [just] a scholar at [China's] National Defense University, but when I talked about China wanting to be No. 1 in the world, Americans were very unhappy. If China’s president talked about being No. 1 in the world, Americans would be unable to bear it,” he says. “We can’t use the same language. But my Chinese dream and the president’s Chinese dream are in essence the same.”

But the vagueness of the phrase has left it open to interpretation by those with different viewpoints. Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun interviewed veteran journalist Hu Shuli about her understanding of the term:

Q: Is that an attempt to present an alternative to the “American dream?”

A: There is no such thing as a “Japanese dream” or a “French dream.” The American dream was the only one found in the world. Under that dream, everyone in that nation was equal and could obtain the good life if they only worked hard. It was not something that was first mentioned by a leader, like in China. It is a common recognition that emerged naturally, so it can be considered the value system held by the American people.

China’s dream is still not clear. We are now at a time when many people believe that China is no longer the poor nation it was a century ago.

However, because society has changed greatly, a common value system about where we want to go that can be shared by all 1.3 billion Chinese has not yet been established.

For some, the Chinese dream is one of more control, especially of the press, as China Media Project reports. In turn, the phrase has been usurped by netizens, who are using it to replace the ubiquitous “harmonize” – made popular under Hu Jintao – to mean censored:

At a forum held in Beijing on April 16, the All-China Journalists Association and representatives from 25 official state media did their best to infuse Xi Jinping’s notion of the “China Dream” (中国梦) with the imperative of press control. The ACJA and the Party press are reminding us all that Xi’s vision of prosperity and “national rejuvenation” can only come through the continued restriction of information freedoms. (The English release, for foreign audiences, emphasises “truth” and “credibility”).

At the April 16 meeting, state media and the ACJA issued a formal pledge, or changyishu (倡议书), called “Applying Positive Energy with a Fierce Sense of Social Responsibility to Realize the China Dream” (以强烈社会责任感为实现中国梦传递正能量). The document makes it clear that “social responsibility” equals the media’s responsibility to the Chinese Communist Party.

[...]

Can we look forward, in the months ahead, to interesting new slips of meaning whereby the “China Dream” becomes synonymous with censorship?

Alas, I’m too late it seems. The process has already begun.

Read more about the Chinese dream, via CDT, including a translation of “CCP Beijing Municipal Committee Recommendations for Developing ‘Chinese Dream’ Education and Propaganda Work.”

© Sophie Beach for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chinese Dream, propaganda, Xi Jinping
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State Council Information Office Department of Internet News Coordination: All weibo and blog websites: Please make “Pantu” a prohibited search term. Carry this out immediately. (April 25, 2013)

国新办网络新闻协调局： 各微博客网站，请将“潘涂”设为禁止搜索词汇，立即执行。

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.”

Chonqing Internet Propaganda Office: Recently, some netizens have maliciously sensationalized the bird flu on interactive forums, deliberately creating social panic. In regards to this, you are asked to strictly supervise contents touching on the bird flu. If a post raises suspicions of “panic,” delete it immediately! (April 11, 2013)

重庆市网宣办：近期有网民通过互动论坛恶意炒作禽流感，刻意制造社会恐慌，对此，要求对于涉及禽流感的内容必须进行严格的监管，若有帖子存在“恐慌”嫌疑，直接删除！

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: bird flu, censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, H7N9, Ministry of Truth, Pantu, propaganda
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Sichuan Propaganda Department: The media are not to independently report that the provincial Party committee quickly promoted Ya’an City officials to upper ranks in order to strengthen leadership of earthquake prevention and relief. (April 22, 2013)

四川省委宣传部：媒体不要自行报道四川省委迅速充实配强雅安市领导班子强化抗震救灾领导力量一事。

Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.”

Beijing Internet Management Office: All websites: Please immediately remove the Jinghua Times earthquake report “Over 10,000 Long Bitterly for Disaster Relief.” (April 24, 2013)

北京市网管办：各网站请立即删除京华时报的地震报道《十余万人苦盼救灾物资》。

Beijing Internet Management Office: No website may put the story “Red Cross Plans to Reinvestigate Guo Meimei” on their homepages or [lists of] topics. Play it down and do not speculate on the issue. (April 26, 2013)

北京市网管办：“红十字会计划再查郭美美”不得上各网站首页与话题，降温不炒作。

Sichuan Internet Propaganda Office: Regarding the Guo Meimei incident, all websites are asked to strengthen inspection and to promptly delete contents which maliciously speculate on the issue or which attack the Red Cross. (April 26, 2013)

四川省网宣办：关于郭美美事件，请各网站加大巡查力度，及时删除恶意炒作和攻击红十字会的有害信息。

Sichuan Propaganda Department “April 20″ Lushan Earthquake Emergency News Center: The provincial Party committee and the provincial government have decided that April 27, 2013 will be a “province-wide day of mourning,” where memorial activities will be held throughout Sichuan. In order to convey the heartfelt grief of every person of the province, of every ethnicity, for their lost compatriots, we hereby notify you of the following propaganda and news reporting tasks:

1. Carry proclamations from the provincial people’s government. All newspapers are to publish the provincial people’s government’s proclamation of province-wide mourning on their full front pages. Websites must place the contents of the proclamation prominently on their homepages and include summaries on the mobile versions of their homepages, in order to practically achieve universal knowledge of the activities.

2. Diligently report on memorial services. Media at the provincial level and below must promptly and thoroughly cover the “Sichuan Heartfelt Memorial Service for Compatriots Lost in the 7.0 Magnitude April 20 Earthquake in Lushan,” held in Lushan County by the provincial Party committee and the provincial government, and must prominently report the people’s mourning activities in the disaster zone; completely reflect the mourning activities of ministries at the provincial level and below and of all locales. All media are to publish or broadcast this slogan: “We mourn our lost compatriots with all our hearts. We must ceaselessly strive to rebuild our happy home!” Actively promote these slogans: “May the dead rest in peace, and the living stay strong!”; “Natural disasters are ruthless, but the human world has love. Rebuild our home through self-reliance!”

3. Build an atmosphere suitable to mourning. On April 27, newspapers will not publish commercial advertisements (excepting those concerning disaster relief and the public good). Websites will use gray and black color schemes and will organize netizens to participate in mourning activities, reflecting the sorrow of the vast majority of netizens. (April 26, 2013)

四川省委宣传部， “4.20”芦山地震四川省应急新闻中心：省委，省政府决定，2013年4月27日为“全省哀日”。举行全省性哀悼活动。为表达全省各族人民对地震遇难同胞的深切哀悼之情，现将有关宣传报道工作通知如下：

1.刊播省人民政府公告。各级报纸头版全文刊发省人民政府关于举行全省性哀悼活动的公告。网站要在首页突出位置刊载公告内容，手机报摘要，切实做到家喻户晓，人人皆知。

2. 认真做好哀悼仪式报道。省直媒体及时、充分报道省委、省政府在芦山县举行的“四川省深切哀悼4.20芦山7.0级强烈地震遇难同胞仪式”，突出报道灾区人 民哀悼活动；全面反应省直部门和全省各地举行的哀悼活动。所有媒体刊播通栏标语：“深切哀悼遇难同胞、自强不息重建美好家园！”。积极刊播“逝者安息，生 者坚强！”，“天灾无情，人间有爱，自力更生重建家园！”标语。

3.营造与哀悼活动相适应的气氛。4月27日，所有媒体停止刊播商业广告(抗震救灾公益广告除外），网站整体页面以灰、黑等色调为主，并组织好网民参与网上哀悼活动，反映广大网民的悲伤之情。

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: 2013 Sichuan earthquake, censorship, Directives from the Ministry of Truth, guo meimei, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, Red Cross
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Central Propaganda Department: Regarding concerns that the Shanghai Guoxuan New Energy project could pollute [Shanghai's] Songjiang District, the media are not to speculate, comment, or produce follow-up reports. (April 29, 2013)

中宣部：对于上海国轩新能源项目落户松江引发污染质疑一事，各媒体不炒作不评论不跟进报道。

The Songjiang government announced today that it will postpone construction of a lithium ion battery factory [zh]  after residents complained that it would pollute the neighborhood.

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, industrial pollution, media censorship, Ministry of Truth, pollution, propaganda, Shanghai, Songjiang factory protest
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Even China’s soft-power triumphs, such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, have quickly turned stale. Not long after the last international athletes had departed, China’s domestic crackdown on human rights activists undercut its soft power gains. Again in 2009, the Shanghai Expo was a great success, but it was followed by the jailing of Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo and screens were dominated by scenes of an empty chair at the Oslo ceremonies. Putin might likewise count on a soft power boost from the Sochi Olympics, but if he continues to repress dissent, he, too, is likely to step on his own message.

China and Russia make the mistake of thinking that government is the main instrument of soft power. In today’s world, information is not scarce but attention is, and attention depends on credibility. Government propaganda is rarely credible. The best propaganda is not propaganda. For all the efforts to turn Xinhua and China Central Television into competitors to CNN and the BBC, there is little international audience for brittle propaganda. As the Economist noted about China, “the party has not bought into Mr. Nye’s view that soft power springs largely from individuals, the private sector, and civil society. So the government has taken to promoting ancient cultural icons whom it thinks might have global appeal.” But soft power doesn’t work that way. As Pang Zhongying of Renmin University put it, it highlights “a poverty of thought” among Chinese leaders.

Nye’s Economist quote is from a 2011 article on ‘Sun Tzu & The Art of Soft Power‘ which was previously featured, with additional commentary, on CDT.

© Samuel Wade for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2008 Beijing Olympics, CCTV, Liu Xiaobo, propaganda, Russia, soft power, Vladimir Putin, Xinhua
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Verified Sina Weibo user @孙小波0105 recently posted this notice. He self-identifies as the “Xinhua Pioneer Publishing Center Chief Inspector.”

Publishing Alert

In the near future, the following [book] topics will be shot down in the process of contacting authors, choosing topics, suggesting titles, designing covers, writing promotional material, filling out CIP requests, and passing manuscripts by censors:

Topics leaning towards superstition, vulgarity, and gossip, including: banqueting and drinking, Way of the Wolf [zh], human networks, feng shui, fortune telling, Thick Black Theory, proselytism, [political] power struggles, extramarital affairs, homosexuality, drug use, Strategy in Handling People, terror, gore, officialdom, and campus thrillers.

Authors who discuss negative aspects of national politics and society.

Manuscripts touching on the military, diplomacy, and both domestic and foreign leaders will be reported as important cases, recorded, and sent to the General Administration of Press and Publication [GAPP]* for review. (April 26, 2013)

*In March, GAPP was merged with the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) to form the State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television. However, the abbreviation used in this document refers to GAPP.

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, Ministry of Truth, propaganda, publishing
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