Freedom of Expression
According to an article in the Liberation Daily (published by the Shanghai Communist Party Committee), Chinese citizens are subject to "false news" on an almost daily basis, and that the problem has become so acute as to constitute a "severe social illness." The article goes on to say that the problem is so serious that those responsible for spreading "harmful rumors" will be subject to criminal prosecution. The article focuses primarily on defamation of public figures.
The Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department and the All-China Journalists Association issued a joint Notice calling for the commencement of "study Gan Yuanzhi activities," according to an April 28 report in Xinhua. Xinhua cited the Notice as saying: "while comrade Gan Yuanzhi worked as a reporter at the 'Hainan Daily,' at no time did he forget that he was a Communist Party newspaper reporter and a Communist Party member, and he passionately reported the successes arising from Hainan province's economic construction and reform opening. . . . When studying comrade Gan Yuanzhi, one should learn that he is loyal to Party journalism, persistent in his Marxist approach to journalism . . . persistent in the correct guidance of public opinion. . .
On April 28, China's official news agency Xinhua reported that the General Administration of Press and Publication ("GAPP") has issued a Notice reminding people that "newspapers and magazines may only be published by publishing work units approved by publishing administration agencies," and informing them that: "in order to safeguard China's periodical publishing order, illegal foreign language publications shall be banned in accordance with the law."
On April 28, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) stated that Chinese authorities had released journalist Chen Yanbin on April 12. In March 1991, Chinese authorities sentenced Chen and Zhang Yafei to 14 and 11 years in prison, respectively, for "incitement to rebellion" and "spreading counter-revolutionary propaganda" for publishing the magazine "Tielu" (Iron Currents). According to RWB, Chen remains deprived of his civil and political rights for the next four years.
Xinhua reports that on April 26, eight Communist Party and government agencies held a teleconference to discuss implementation of the State Council's "Notice Regarding Strengthening Propaganda Education Regarding National Territory Consciousness and Supervision of the Map Market." Attendees included the General Administration of Press and Publication ("GAPP"), the Party's Central Propaganda Department, and the Ministry of Education. According to Xinhua: "Chen Bangzhu, head of the State Survey Office, pointed out during the teleconference . . . it is necessary to do the work of propaganda education of national territory consciousness and supervision of the map market in order to strengthen patriotic education. . .
Xinhua reports that Guangzhou's municipal public security bureau issued a "Notice Regarding Centralized Handling of Internet Web Site Registration." According to Xinhua, the Notice requires all Internet information services, including personal Web sites, hosted on servers located in Guangzhou to register (or re-register, if already registered) with Guangzhou's public security bureau before May 31.
The People's Daily Web site reports that, as part of its ongoing "Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Illegal Publications" campaign, the General Administration of Press and Publication has banned 60 publications. The GAPP announced the ban on April 26, stating that it was necessary to "strengthen the work of reading and evaluating [publications], and tracking down the source and background situation of contents that have severe problems."
According to the People's Daily report, this is the fourth time the GAPP has announced a mass-banning in 2004-2005, and the total number of banned newspapers and magazines in that time has now reached 169. For more information on the GAPP's activities, see the following CECC summaries:
Taiwan news media reports that Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman David Huang told Taiwan's legislature that Taiwan officials would agree to permit two mainland Chinese news media organizations to assign correspondents to Taiwan if the Chinese government would lift its blackout against the online versions of two Taipei-based newspapers and would stop blocking PRC-based local press groups from posting reporters to Taiwan.
The report also cited Taiwan Government Information Office Minister Yao Wenzhi as saying that the Chinese government has deliberately blocked the Web sites of Taiwan news media organizations, and that people in mainland China have had limited access to Taiwan-related information.
A recent study by the OpenNet Initiative found that China's government blocks access to www.taiwan.com and www.gov.tw, among others.
An editorial in the April 26 edition of the Liberation Daily, published by the Shanghai Communist Party committee, stated that 42 "lawbreakers" have been punished in connection with anti-Japanese demonstrations held April 16, and that the police "continue to resolutely pursue and prosecute those lawbreakers engaged in illegal activities such as organizing or inciting illegal assemblies and demonstrations." The Shanghai Evening Post, a sister publication of the Liberation Daily, reported that of those 42, 16 had been detained and 26 had been formally arrested.
The editorial, entitled "Safeguard the Dignity of the Law," goes on to say:
In an article published on April 25, the Shanghai Evening Post examined how Internet forums at Fudan, Jiaotong, and Shanghai Normal universities "used relatively strict supervision, [and] set up specific screening mechanisms for harmful information" when anti-Japanese demonstrations were taking place around China.
According to the report, entitled "Shanghai University Internet Forums Say 'No' to Rumors":