In order to maintain so-called “stability,” the Chinese Communist Party uses various surveillance systems to keep a tight rein on people’s lives and to suppress them. Recently obtained internal documents reveal the Hebei authorities’ all-round response to online public opinion in order to prevent negative news.
Documents reveal Hebei’s comprehensive approach to controlling negative online opinion
Obtained Hebei Chengde City health Commission May 18, 2020 issued by the “on the issuance of Chengde City Health Commission press propaganda work system notice”. From the content, it leaks the authorities’ various means of controlling online public opinion.
The document states that in order to “adapt to the new era of press and propaganda work requirements, the establishment of the press and propaganda work conference system”, “research and disposal of major public opinion” as the main task, the unit liaison and the Commission propaganda section “to do a good job of propaganda and public opinion guidance work”.
This document includes nine aspects of the joint press and propaganda work meeting system; press release system; acceptance of news media interview system; important public opinion emergency handling system; Internet public opinion guidance work system.
In the “emergency handling system of important public opinion”, it is mentioned that the warning level is divided into general public opinion, emergency public opinion and urgent and major public opinion.
For “public opinion handling”, the document says that the Propaganda and Education Section will regularly monitor public opinion dynamically and make quick reports on public opinion analysis to “stabilize social opinion”. For harmful remarks occurring in the field of health and “serious political misdirection,” they will be disposed of by the Propaganda Department of the Municipal Party Committee, the Internet Information Office and other departments.
In the “acceptance of news media interview system”, mentioned “interview procedures”: the relevant sections of the Commission organs received media interview requests, should be referred to the propaganda section in accordance with the procedures accepted. Not directly to the media to talk or accept interviews, not by telephone, SMS, e-mail or other acceptance of interviews.
“Acceptance of interview requirements”: to answer in accordance with the scope of the interview and the relevant caliber of the approval provisions, shall not exceed the scope or exceed the authority to answer questions that do not fall within the scope of competence; staff to provide the news media with statistical data, text and graphical information, in accordance with the relevant provisions.
“Treatment of overseas interview matters”: subject to the approval of the Municipal Health Commission and the Propaganda Department of the Municipal Party Committee. No one shall privately accept telephone interviews with foreign journalists (including foreign resident reporters in China and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao resident reporters), and shall not accept or take the initiative to invite foreign news media to interview and provide news reporting materials.
In the “press release system” mentioned that the theme of routine press conferences, reported to the business and propaganda division in charge of the consent, after approval, in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Government Information Office; special press conferences, briefings, etc. reported to the division in charge of the approval.
According to the document, “after the conference, the propaganda section is responsible for collecting and researching public opinion” and “summarizing and analyzing media reports and netizens’ comments and reporting them in the form of special reports on public opinion”.
In the “Internet public opinion guidance work system”, it is mentioned that the core network propagandists are responsible for Internet public opinion guidance. The expert propagandists “take the initiative to voice out and dispel rumors” on hot and sensitive issues of public opinion; the network propagandists are responsible for following the dynamics of online public opinion and guiding public opinion; writing posts and publishing follow-up comments.
Example of controlling public opinion in Hebei
On November 24 of this year, the mainland Sohu number “Thinking about Life” published the article “Xinghe: The case behind the embezzlement of 123 million Postbank may face losing the lawsuit”, which drew the attention of Xingtai City’s Internet Information Office, which asked Shahe authorities to immediately dispose of it.
The “report on the situation of the article “Xingtai: the case behind the embezzlement of 123 million Postal Reserve Bank may face losing the lawsuit” on the internet” of Shahe Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government on November 27 said that the postal company had contacted Sohu number “Think Life” and the account The postal company has contacted Sohu’s “Thinking Life,” and the account manager has removed the article and asked all websites in Xinghe not to report it, not to reproduce it, not to speculate on it, and to delete it if it has been published.
The document said that the next step “timely attention to the incident online and the situation dynamics, do a good job related to the response and disposal work, to avoid negative and the theory of speculation.
In addition, in 2014, thousands of members of three cooperatives in Longyao County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, defended their rights, which had attracted public attention. After the incident, the authorities discredited it as “illegal fundraising” and “monitored public opinion” to prevent negative publicity.
A December 10, 2014, document from the Xingtai Municipal Party Committee’s Propaganda Department, entitled “Preliminary Plan for the Disposal of Public Opinion on the Suspected Illegal Fund Raising in the “Three Places” Farmers’ Cooperative According to Law” and “Report on the Control of Public Opinion on the Disposal of the “Three Places” Case,” leaks the authorities’ control measures over negative public opinion on the incident.
According to the document, “communication with key websites and public numbers has been made to ensure that nothing is lost”; the keyword “three places” has been added to the public opinion monitoring system; and a 24/7 double-shift duty system has been implemented.
The system also includes “using the direct reporting group of public opinion and various monitoring software to monitor public opinion around the clock”; “organizing core online commentators in advance to write, classify and summarize the information, so as to respond to negative comments efficiently and quickly”; and “arranging special staff to summarize and organize online public opinion information on a daily basis”.
In December 2014, the cooperative, which had 130,000 members, was closed by the authorities for “suspected illegal fundraising,” resulting in hundreds of thousands of farmers losing their money. The cooperative, with 130,000 members, was closed by the authorities in December 2014 on suspicion of illegal fundraising, leaving hundreds of thousands of farmers with no money.
Ms. Liang, a member of the cooperative, believes that the cooperative has been operating for seven years, has a formal business license, and has been heavily promoted by major media.
Chengde set one of the bottom lines for the 2020 “two sessions” is the control of public opinion
Every year, the authorities are on high alert to prevent and control the two sessions of the Communist Party. This year in particular, in the midst of an epidemic, the two sessions of the Chinese Communist Party have been a time of great alarm, with the media on guard and visitors in Beijing on guard.
A speech by Guo Shigang, vice mayor of Chengde, at a meeting on the promotion of the city’s health priorities, reveals that one of the bottom lines set by the Chengde authorities for the two sessions in 2020 is “public opinion control”.
The document reveals that “to be a political moat for the capital and safeguard the two national conferences”, “we will resolutely keep the ‘four bottom lines’ of not having a new local case, not having a case imported into Beijing, not having a school safety accident, and not having an influential public opinion related to the epidemic”.
The Communist Party’s two sessions are usually held in March each year. This year, due to the epidemic, the two sessions were delayed in Beijing on May 21 and 22.
Recent Comments