The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. The name of the issuing body has been omitted to protect the source.
In regards to [the article] “Wen Jiabao Appears at Alma Mater Nankai High School to Welcome the School’s 110th Anniversary,” do not promote related content. Please find and delete any coverage already published. (October 15, 2014)
有关“温家宝现身母校南开中学迎110年校庆” 的内容不炒作，已发表的请检查删除。[Chinese]
Several Chinese media outlets reported today that former Premier Wen Jiabao made a public appearance at Tianjin Nankai High School, the elite college-preparatory institute that he attended, for its 110th anniversary. Wen reportedly delivered a speech entitled “My Days at Nankai High School” (《我在南开中学的日子》). The articles have since been removed from Chinese news sites. Unauthorized reports on high-ranking officials—current and former—are often the subject of censorship directives and social media search restrictions.
In 2012, a New York Times exposé revealed that family members of Wen Jiabao controlled assets worth upwards of US$2.7 billion. In June of this year, The Telegraph revealed evidence that Wen’s daughter Wen Ruchun ran the charity that established a £3.7 million endowed professorship at Cambridge University—in 2012, when concerns that this was Beijing’s attempt to buy influence at the prestigious university were expressed, Chinese censors ordered websites to delete related news. Last week, The Telegraph further reported on secret meetings between Cambridge and Wen Ruchun.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. 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.
