Build a Firm Ideological "Firewall"

The following is a partial translation by CECC staff of an article entitled "Build a Firm Ideological 'Firewall'," which appeared in the September 27, 2003 edition of the People's Liberation Army's "Liberation Army Daily" newspaper.

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International and overseas spy organizations use the Internet as an important means to get intelligence; they frequently set online "traps" to obtain intelligence. Although we have set up 'fire walls' and other measures to ward off such harmful information, there is some information we cannot 'ward off' or 'fend off."

The Internet has become a channel for dissemination of information and ideological culture, relied upon as a vehicle and battlefield, and like other ideology cultural battlefields, if correct, advanced and high-spirited things do not occupy it, then wrong, backward, and decadent things will occupy it. Therefore, a firm ideological "firewall" must strengthen "occupying" conciousness, and work hard to use advanced ideological culture to capture this ideological culture territory of this new battlefield of the Internet. First we must strengthen propaganda online, and make full use of this modern channel for dissemination to propagandize scientific theory, disseminate advanced culture, initiate scientific spirit, and carry forward a socially healthy atmosphere. Second, establish local area network work units, which should update and constantly improve the Internet's content in a timely manner, and make the local area networks lively, vigorous, high-spirited and absorbing. Once these tasks are accomplished, we may then use scientific and cultural information to resist dispirited and decadent information, and furthermore enable officers and troops to better maintain political firmness and ideological and moral purity under the influence of advanced ideology culture.