Agitation by the Communist Party of China: Their Public Promotions
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has been asserting its influence in various aspects of the People's Republic, with a particular focus on propaganda and ideological work. In 2017, at the 19th Party Congress, the CPC declared its claim to leadership in all areas of the country.
The CPC promotes its own system under terms such as 'China's experience' and 'China's wisdom'. This strategy extends to international platforms, where the party collaborates with Chinese and international influencers, often partnering with foreign YouTubers and social media personalities who visit China and post positive content.
The institution responsible for the practical implementation of ideological guidelines in China is the CPC itself. Numerous government institutions were incorporated into party structures or placed under its control following the claim. This includes the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s control over the People's Liberation Army.
Censorship in China occurs primarily within the country, with platforms, blogs, and social media using automated software and moderators to remove content deemed politically sensitive. Intimidation and self-censorship play a role, with statements made abroad potentially punishable and even passive following being monitored and sanctioned.
The CPC has been experimenting with 'Russian methods' in recent years, including spreading different and sometimes contradictory narratives about the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. The party also promotes Russia's view of the Ukraine war, portraying NATO as the aggressor and Russia as the defender of its legitimate security interests.
Since 2014, the CPC has focused on integrating traditional and digital media and various media formats, with Xi Jinping promoting 'media convergence' as a central modernization strategy for party media. The party has been early adopters of producing short videos and offering content through apps due to the prevalence of mobile device usage for media consumption in China.
The CPC has also been investing in technology to control discourses, with several dozen provinces and cities in China having established 'International Communication Centers' to spread CPC core narratives in a modern package abroad. Numerous companies offer 'internet commentator systems' as commercial services for party-state institutions, with apps used for semi-automated mass creation, liking, or commenting of posts.
The CPC has a volunteer network of over 20 million unpaid 'patriotic' online commentators, operated by the Communist Youth League. Paid commentators who spread regime-friendly narratives on behalf of the party-state are known as the '50-Cent Party' and have been outsourced to external service providers.
Propaganda is a central element for securing the CPC's power position in the long term. The party considers 'propaganda and ideological work' a legitimate part of its own party work. Xi Jinping emphasized that propaganda is closely linked to the 'future and the fate of the party' as well as to the 'long-term stability of China'.
The CPC sees itself in a 'struggle for public opinion' with the West and wants to shift the front of this struggle abroad. The party is increasingly concerned with being able to intervene in discourses on non-Chinese platforms through comment floods, as social media manipulation is used primarily to control discourses within China's own social media.
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