The Los Angeles Times writes about the government’s efforts at image control in the midst of a spate of bad news:
The Communist Party prefers its public relations in the form of carefully scripted reports handed down through controlled channels that praise the leadership and play up the positive. This is especially true in the lead-up to the Communist Party Congress, the biggest event on China’s political calendar, which begins Oct. 15.
Unfortunately for Chinese censors, a more three-dimensional view of the news is increasingly just a click away. A few terms entered into one of China’s Internet search engines quickly reveal reports on food inspection shortfalls, official complicity in mining accidents, questionable nuclear standards, even comments on the party’s penchant for nearly identical happy-talk front pages. [Full text]
BBC also reports that, “China tightens grip ahead of congress”:
Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang, a member of the party’s politburo, identified a wide range of “hostile forces” that will be targeted.
“All police should…strike hard on overseas and domestic hostile forces, ethnic splittists, religious extremists, violent terrorists and the Falun Gong cult so as to safeguard national security and social stability,” he said.
…Mr Zhou also referred to political dissidents, campaigners and people who advocate independence for the western regions of Xinjiang and Tibet. [Full text]
