The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.
State Council Information Office: All website cease from republishing the Global Times article “U.S. Honors Two Ex-CIA Agents: Loyal to Duty, Served 20 Years in Chinese Jail.” Please immediately delete already published material. (December 12, 2013)
国新办：各网站不要再转载环球时报《美国表彰两名前特工:在中国服刑20年忠于职守》一文，已经登载的请马上查删。
On December 9, AFP reported that the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency recognized two former agents with the “Distinguished Intelligence Cross,” the organization’s highest honor. The two agents spent over 20 years in jail after their plane was shot down during the Korean War. The now inaccessible Global Times report, which cites AFP’s coverage, has been preserved in full by CDT Chinese [zh].
State Council Information Office: All websites please delete the Phoenix Net (ifeng.com) article “Group Photo of Workers Talking With Mao Zedong: Chairman’s Photo can Drive Out Demons and Strengthen Courage” and photographs. (December 9, 2013)
国新办：凤凰网的《工人谈与毛泽东合影：主席照片可驱邪壮胆》一文和照片请各网站予以删除。
Full text of the Phoenix Net (ifeng.com) article is available via CDT Chinese [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.
