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.
Websites must not republish the article “Jingxi Hotel Is ‘Mysterious Meeting Place’ of Central Authorities: No Leaks in Its History.” If you have already posted it, delete it immediately. (October 27, 2015) [Chinese]
Built in 1964 and owned by the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel is currently hosting the fifth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party Central Committee. The Beijing News posted the above-mentioned article to its public WeChat account “Political Affairs” (政事儿), on October 23, describing the hotel’s “five mosts”: the most difficult to enter, the most secure, the most meetings, the highest standards, and the most secrecy.
Heavily patrolled and flanked by military buildings, the Jingxi Hotel has been the site of historic policymaking. It was there that the Gang of Four came into the Party’s crosshairs, that Deng Xiaoping swayed the establishment toward reform and opening, and that the “decisive victory” against student protesters was confirmed, days after the military crackdown on June 4, 1989. Walk-in guests and foreigners cannot books rooms at the Jingxi, and guests’ visitors must pass through layers of security before they can enter.
The Zhengshir WeChat account appears to have been deleted.
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.
