Post by Shadow on Mar 6, 2006 18:30:56 GMT -5
'Chinese Putin' gets tough on Internet's 'dangerous ideas'
World Tribune
By Willy Lam*
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Political sources in Beijing said President Hu Jintao, also CCP general secretary, told his aides in a recent internal meeting that security and propaganda departments must do a more thorough job in exterminating “heresies and dangerous ideas [from the West].”
This is despite the fact that the CCP’s recent crackdown on the Internet and liberal journals such as Freezing Point has exacerbated Hu’s reputation as a “Chinese Putin.”
“We must redouble efforts to counter attempts [by the West] to infiltrate China and wreak havoc on the political and moral standards of party members and intellectuals,” Hu said. “We must counter attempts by hostile forces in the West to transform China into a capitalist country via a process of peaceful evolution.”
The party chief gave instructions to security and propaganda cadres to “pay more attention to, get rid of, and impose tighter control over” politically incorrect elements in the media, particularly the Internet.
What is even more significant is Hu’s idea about “expanding the propaganda base,” that is, increasing the number of papers, journals and websites that are deemed patriotic and ideologically above board. Moreover, given the big role that nongovernmental organizations played in “velvet revolutions” in nearby countries, including Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, party authorities have urged relevant departments to foster “patriotic” NGOs. While a government-controlled NGO is a contradiction in terms, Beijing apparently believes that such outfits could serve as conduits for Chinese with grievances to let off steam — and in such a way as not to challenge the supremacy of the CCP.
World Tribune
By Willy Lam*
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Political sources in Beijing said President Hu Jintao, also CCP general secretary, told his aides in a recent internal meeting that security and propaganda departments must do a more thorough job in exterminating “heresies and dangerous ideas [from the West].”
This is despite the fact that the CCP’s recent crackdown on the Internet and liberal journals such as Freezing Point has exacerbated Hu’s reputation as a “Chinese Putin.”
“We must redouble efforts to counter attempts [by the West] to infiltrate China and wreak havoc on the political and moral standards of party members and intellectuals,” Hu said. “We must counter attempts by hostile forces in the West to transform China into a capitalist country via a process of peaceful evolution.”
The party chief gave instructions to security and propaganda cadres to “pay more attention to, get rid of, and impose tighter control over” politically incorrect elements in the media, particularly the Internet.
What is even more significant is Hu’s idea about “expanding the propaganda base,” that is, increasing the number of papers, journals and websites that are deemed patriotic and ideologically above board. Moreover, given the big role that nongovernmental organizations played in “velvet revolutions” in nearby countries, including Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, party authorities have urged relevant departments to foster “patriotic” NGOs. While a government-controlled NGO is a contradiction in terms, Beijing apparently believes that such outfits could serve as conduits for Chinese with grievances to let off steam — and in such a way as not to challenge the supremacy of the CCP.