Please strengthen the disposal of harmful information related to “Tibet independence.” Take strict precautions against stirring public opinion. In case of outstanding circumstances, please report to the monitoring editor on duty. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

March 10 marks "Tibet Uprising Day," which commemorates a 1959 protest in Lhasa by tens of thousands of Tibetans demanding an end to Chinese occupation of their homeland. A subsequent crackdown by Chinese soldiers killed thousands of Tibetans and led to the escape of the Dalai Lama into exile in India, where he has lived ever since. The day is marked each year by pro-Tibetan groups around the world.

•••

Concerning the assemblies of merchants in many locales requesting that rent be lowered or waived, without exception do not report, do not comment, and do not reprint. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

In March, small private business owners in various locations in China protested for rent relief in the wake of the COVID crisis. February is generally the biggest shopping month in China during the Lunar New Year holiday, and many businesses lost critical income during the health crisis. Local government programs offered economic assistance such as rent abatement to businesses, but only for state-owned commercial properties.

Concerning the “whistle provider” and this type of reporting, do not place on home pages and remove if there.
Reference links:
The Great Whistle provider! Should be received by top leaders.
https://www.toutiao.com/i1660753158812676/
The first to discover the virus, only she is the whistle provider!
http://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1660752612649836777
People Magazine reported today on whistle provider Ai Fen, director of the ER at Wuhan Central Hospital. The introduction has been cut.
https://www.toutiao.com/i1660744486232078/
The Whistleblower: If these doctors could get prompt alerts, maybe this wouldn’t have happened
http://www.yyrw.org.cn/e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=5&id=2256&from=timeline&isappinstalled=0″ (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

In the week of March 11, Dr. Ai Fen, the director of the emergency department at Wuhan Central Hospital, was interviewed by Chinese magazine People (Renwu 人物), and recounted being reprimanded by hospital authorities for sharing a diagnostic report on WeChat showing a patient with SARS-like pneumonia in late December. Previously, Ai had denied being a "whistleblower" and instead called herself a "whistle provider." Ai was one of several medical personnel, including Dr. Li Wenliang, who were admonished for sharing information about the new virus before it had been officially acknowledged. The People interview was quickly censored, but netizens found creative ways to share it.

Regarding the Chinese government’s chartering of commercial flights to repatriate Chinese citizens from countries with severe epidemic outbreaks, such as Iran, there will be no reports unless by unified arrangement. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

As Iran faced a surge in COVID cases in early March, China chartered flights to repatriate Chinese citizens, a subject of previous directives. On March 6, one such directive stated, "If reporting on confirmed cases among Chinese citizens repatriated from Iran, take information published by authoritative departments as standard. Do not stress patients’ ethnic minority status, do not comment, do not hype, do not exaggerate, and avoid triggering social panic." Another on March 3 warned recipients, "Do not conduct interviews with repatriated people or their friends and relatives in the absence of unified arrangements."

The March 11 Changjiang News broadcast and short summary “Central Leading Group: Fighting Side-by-Side With the Hubei and Wuhan People, Resolutely Winning the Defensive War in Hubei and Wuhan” shall not go online. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

An article with the same title and sourced to Xinhua is currently available online. Changjiang News is a late night, opinionated news analysis program.

Clean up harmful information related to epidemic prevention and control in response to the notifications from the Beijing Center for Disease Control of the confirmed cases of a certain Guo in Zhengzhou and of a certain Li, who imported the virus from Britain. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

Guo was sentenced to 18 months in prison for disobeying rules about social distancing and quarantining while infected with COVID after traveling abroad. A certain Ms. Li was mentioned in a report of people who brought the virus back to China after traveling abroad.

The Ministry of Education will soon publish “Guiding Opinions for Actively Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Epidemic While Succeeding in the 2020 Art Major Enrollment Exam.” Use authoritative information if and when reporting, do not question the new examination method, handle comments from training agencies with care, and request opinion from the education department if unsure, in order to prevent false and extreme reports from misleading the public. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

If a department is in need of video content or collection please contact the content planning service center with your order. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

1. Reports concerning medical personnel should be simple, unadorned, and pay more attention to the performance of the post-90s, post-00s, and other groups.
2. Do not touch on negative reports from medical personnel. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

1. When reporting on cases entering other cities and provinces by way of Beijing, the phrases “via Beijing” and “transferred in Beijing” should not appear in the headline or lede. Do not use the wording “in defense of the capital” or “in defense of Beijing.” Reports must be based on authoritative information and should accurately and completely reflect the prevention and control measures of Beijing customs.
2. Standardize wording in reports related to overseas prevention and control. Use the phrase “imported from abroad” instead of “reflux” or “backflow.” (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

Do not report on interim developments in areas such as pharmaceutical efficacy, vaccine progress, virus origins, transmission channels, reagent monitoring etc. that have not yet been confirmed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Health Commission or other authoritative departments. Handle information on research findings independently provided by universities, research units, firms, and related experts with caution, especially those with content in fields such as vaccines’ clinical trials and expected application timeframes, monitoring reagents’ examination timeframes, viral transmission channels and mechanisms, the virus’ source and intermediate hosts, autopsies of victims etc. In case of uncertainty, promptly contact the press offices of relevant departments such as the Ministry of Science and Technology and Health Commission to check. Handle reports on mutations of the novel coronavirus and human harm in a safe manner to avoid social panic. (March 10, 2020) [Chinese]

These directives follow a stream of almost daily instructions on how to report various aspects of the COVID pandemic. Reports on the spread of the virus to other countries, as well as spread through domestic travel in China, were especially sensitive. Reports on developments in medical treatments, vaccines, transmission, and other scientific factors were also carefully monitored and controlled. Previous directives similarly set rules about how to standardize the language around the outbreak. The final directive here was almost identical to one issued on March 8.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Please consult on the following newly sacked personnel:
Former member of the Hainan CCP Standing Committee and Haikou Municipal Secretary Zhang Qi (March 9, 2020) [Chinese]

Reports on Zhang Qi’s arrest in mid-March said that according to official statements Zhang was expelled from the Party in March. Months later state media reported that he pled guilty and expressed remorse for corruption.

•••

Please take note, do not report, do not release, and do not propagate the BBC East Asia special report on Tibet “Consulting the Oracle.” (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

BBC World Service premiered the Heart and Soul special "Consulting the Oracle," a 27-minute audio report from North India on the Dharamshala-based State Oracle of Tibet.

•••

The 2020 Summit of China-Central and Eastern European Countries Leaders Standard Title

Chinese: 2020 China-CEEC Leadership Summit

English: China-CEEC Summit 2020 (abbreviate, use for website domain registration, etc.) the 2020 Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (backdrop boards should capitalize the first letter “T” in “the”) (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

In April, Chinese state media announced that due to COVID-19, the China-CEEC summit would be postponed.

•••

Censorship and propaganda authorities had since the beginning of the year issued near daily orders to control media coverage of the domestic COVID-19 epidemic.

Reports on the return home to all parts of the country for the personnel aiding Hubei must be consistent with the general atmosphere of the nation’s epidemic relief. There should be no pictures of flowers, cakes, etc. (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

Overly sunny propaganda in the early months of the fight against the coronavirus led to significant backlash from a public angry over malfeasance and censorship concerning the initial outbreak.

Concerning the situation of imported cases from foreign jurisdictions, reports must be based on authoritative information. Do not list faults, criticisms, or complaints. (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

Concerning the prevention and control situations for overseas epidemics, ensure that you understand the main line: sudden epidemics are a challenge that commonly faces all of mankind. Countries must strengthen cooperation and join together, must resolutely put an end to those inciting opposition, rejoicing in others’ misfortune, or sneering and scolding at developing trends. New media headlines must especially guard against being stigmatic or offensive. (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

Regarding all types of news conference reports on epidemic prevention and control, standardize sources and report accurately, do not take quotes out of context or misrepresent original intent, do not engage in writing “clickbait,” and carefully manage comments. (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

1. Regarding Russian and Iranian reports on the novel coronavirus, please maintain the official stance and be up-to-date on relevant reports. Do not report, do not forward unconfirmed information.

2. Regarding the Guinea election, please cautiously cite foreign media. (March 9, 2020) [Chinese] 

In early March, as China’s domestic coronavirus spread began to slow, the rest of the world was coming to terms with the global implications of the outbreak. As infection rates climbed worldwide, Beijing urged overseas Chinese to skip planned trips home. Within a week, imported cases were shown to outpace local infections in China according to data gathered on travelers in major hub cities. Two days later, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Despite his near complete public absence over the preceding two months, Xi on March 10 took center stage with a highly publicized trip to Wuhan. Despite doubts at home and abroad over the accuracy of official case numbers, China’s successes allowed Beijing to adopt rhetoric championing its successful response to the virus as evidence of the superiority of its system.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Please take down videos of television dramas “Mission for Peace” and “Crashing Into Guandong.” Wait for notification to put them back up. (March 7, 2020) [Chinese]

"Mission for Peace" is a 2009 drama about China-Russian joint military exercises co-produced by China International Television Corporation, China Radio, Film & Television Programs Exchange Center, Department of Politics and Publicity of the Jinan Military Region, and Shanghai Capital Media Company and broadcast on CCTV. "Crashing into Guandong" is a historical drama about migrants from Shandong to Manchuria (currently northeast China) during the Qing Dynasty.

•••

Regarding the Chinese Kuomintang’s March 7 by-election for chairperson, it is important to keep it low-key. You may report objective news on the circumstances and results of the by-election to Taiwanese and foreign readers, but do not hype related topics. Reports must not touch on our relationship with the Kuomintang, and must not analyze or predict future cooperation between the KMT and the CCP. If the person elected makes critical, false, or negative remarks about issues concerning the mainland and cross-Strait relations, they can be criticized. (March 7, 2020) [Chinese]

On March 7, legislator Johnny Chiang was elected chairperson of the Kuomintang (Nationalist) Party, following his Party’s resounding defeat by the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party’s Tsai Ing-wen in the presidential election in January. In the wake of that defeat, the KMT faced questions about how they would move away from their image as the "pro-China" Party. The Chinese government had supported Tsai’s opponent Han Kuo-yu and waged a propaganda and disinformation campaign during the election.

•••

The Changjiang Daily article “Gratitude Education” must not be reprinted, commented, or reported on. Articles already published must immediately be withdrawn. (March 7, 2020) [Chinese]

In early March, Wuhan Party Secretary Wang Zhonglin faced a public backlash after calling for “gratitude education among the citizens of the whole city, so that they thank the General Secretary [Xi Jinping], thank the Chinese Communist Party, heed the Party, walk with the Party, and create strong positive energy.” The State Council Information Office subsequently issued a propaganda order targeting an article in Changjiang Daily which reported Wang’s remarks. As translated by China Media Project, the order declared, "This matter fully shows that with Wuhan now having been shut down for more than 40 days, the lives of the ordinary people have been affected to such an extent that there is resentment and anger, and all reports must consider the feelings of the people of Wuhan." This incident was one of several missteps in the official management of public opinion during the coronavirus outbreak.

•••

1. To avoid misleading the public, reports on novel coronavirus drugs and vaccines must be based on information released by authoritative departments, must be rigorously standardized and not overly interpreted. Content touching on the mutation of the virus and its harm to the human body must be handled cautiously, must seek advisory opinions from authoritative departments, and must prevent social panic.
2. Regarding the number of people infected with novel coronavirus in Japan, rigorously standardize [reports]. The passengers on the “Diamond Princess” cruise ship are not included in the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Japan. (March 7, 2020) [Chinese]

As the coronavirus continued to spread in China and throughout the world, propaganda directives attempted to control information around all aspects of the health crisis. The Diamond Princess was quarantined in Yokohama, Japan following a coronavirus outbreak on board, in which eight people died and more than 700 were infected. Reporting revealed a series of missteps by both the company and Japanese authorities which exacerbated the outbreak.

•••

Concerning the collapse of a hotel in Quanzhou, Fujian, when reporting, information released by authoritative departments shall prevail. The story shall be treated with a low-key manner, without hype, and no connections are to be made to previous epidemic situations or related control measures. Do not reprint information from foreign media, do not assign journalists to cover, and do not publish live photos or videos from the scene. (March 7, 2020) [Chinese]

On March 7, the Quanzhou Xinjia Hotel in Fujian—which had been used to quarantine travelers as part of government epidemic control efforts—collapsed, trapping dozens of residents in the rubble. In the early months of the crisis, the government faced public criticism and even lawsuits over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

If reporting on confirmed cases among Chinese citizens repatriated from Iran, take information published by authoritative departments as standard. Do not stress patients’ ethnic minority status, do not comment, do not hype, do not exaggerate, and avoid triggering social panic. Promptly search for and dispose of extreme and negative comments. (March 6, 2020) [Chinese]

Regarding the propagation of reports on pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, the following items must be assured:

1. Regarding the matter of China’s external mask donations, do not report without unified arrangement to avoid giving rise to secondary public opinion.

2. Regarding concrete data on customs RNA testing of border crossing personnel, do not report without unified arrangement. (March 6, 2020) [Chinese]

The repatriation of Chinese citizens by chartered flight from Iran as COVID infections surged in the country was the subject of previous directives. One on March 3 didn’t mention infection confirmations, but ordered "low-key handling" of the repatriation, forbade the word "evacuate," and also ordered a unified line on future coverage of their accommodation after arrival in China. The above directive repeats one from March 5, and also includes the additional request to clean up negative comments.

The narrative on mask and other aid donations and COVID-19 data—official and from civil society—was regulated frequently amid a near daily stream of directives about the novel coronavirus outbreak in early 2020.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Departments which republished the article “Wuhan Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Patient Dies After Leaving Hospital,” please immediately withdraw it! (March 5, 2020) [Chinese]

Please give low-key handling to reports on our plans to send charter planes to return some Chinese citizens from Iran. Brief factual reports are permissible, but do not extrapolate, decipher, comment, or republish foreign media reports. (March 5, 2020) [Chinese]

If reporting on confirmed cases among Chinese citizens repatriated from Iran, take information published by authoritative departments as standard. Do not stress patients’ ethnic minority status, do not comment, do not hype, do not exaggerate, and avoid triggering social panic. (March 5, 2020) [Chinese]

These continue a stream of epidemic-related orders over the previous several weeks. The first of the Iran-focused directives echoes a longer set of instructions issued on March 3, whose other subjects included repatriation of Hong Kong and Macao citizens from Hubei. Earlier directives had similarly restricted coverage of Hong Kong and U.S. citizens’ evacuation. Another order issued on January 15 contained extensive guidance on coverage of Iran’s downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane, whose 176 passengers and crew were all killed.

For now, do not report on the commendations from three ministries this morning. (March 5, 2020) [Chinese]

On March 5, three government agencies—the National Health Commission, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine—issued commendations to 113 healthcare teams and 473 individual healthcare workers, as well as several healthcare workers who died, "in the field of epidemic prevention and control." Those awarded posthumously include Dr. Li Wenliang, who was initially reprimanded for sharing information with healthcare colleagues about the then-unknown coronavirus, and who later died from the virus. His death became a rallying point for internet users demanding free speech and greater government transparency and accountability.

When reporting on the fight against the epidemic and the return to work and production, do not cover Xinjiang’s organizing of work positions for Uyghurs and other ethnic minority members in the interior. (March 5, 2020) [Chinese]

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute had published a widely reported paper on March 1 describing "the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 82 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen. This report estimates that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps."

•••

Be sure to use standard Party terms for grassroots organizations and related positions.
1. Do not describe a “Party committee secretary” as “community secretary”: “secretary” is a Party position, and the expression “community secretary” is non-standard.
2. Do not confuse “Party branch secretary” with “general Party branch secretary”: Party branches and general Party branches are both grassroots organizations of the Party, but there are differences in their scope and functions, and they cannot be mixed up. Likewise, general Party branch secretary and Party branch secretary are two different posts. (March 5, 2020) [Chinese]

Several other directives had similarly urged recipients to ensure terminological orthodoxy on matters from COVID-19 to territorial claims in the South China Sea. Others were proscriptive rather than prescriptive, barring the word "evacuate" to describe repatriations from Iran, "potentially controversial" terms such as "tracking" and "tracing" from reports on coronavirus-related big data analysis, and the derisive "copying homework" as a jibe at foreign countries’ handling of the epidemic.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

The Guardian’s Amy Hawkins reported on the broader “stability maintenance” regime surrounding the meetings:

Security is heightened. Extra uniformed personnel have been deployed to stand guard on Beijing’s bridges – lest anyone attempt a stunt inspired by Peng Lifa’s protest at Sitong Bridge ahead of the 20th party congress in 2022. Guards at busy subway stations subject commuters to random scans of their identification cards.

Virtual private networks – apps used to tunnel through the firewall of internet censorship – slow down, as the authorities try to tighten their grip on the exchange of information with the outside world. It is imperative to the Communist party that the parallel sessions of the “Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference”, an advisory body, and the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s rubber-stamp parliament, run smoothly. Put together, the meetings are known as the Two Sessions, and represent the most important annual event in China’s political calendar. [Source]

The profile change blocks were highlighted on X by Teacher Li on Monday. Users reportedly received notifications such as the following, attributing the temporary change to “technical upgrades”:

Dear Blued users, greetings! We will be carrying out technical upgrades between 00:00 on March 3 and 23:59 on March 8. The following functions will be affected: suspend the modification of nicknames and signatures. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, and appreciate your understanding and support! [Chinese]

A set of leaked internal corporate directions published by CDT in 2022 relayed instructions for similar temporary restrictions. These similarly applied to profile changes as well as new users’ profiles, emoji, gifs, and other functions, and ordered the use of “strategic phrasing” such as “upgrades/maintenance/improvements” rather than “supervisory requirements” or “sensitive period”:

Urgent! Network control notice—network control arrangements for 20:00 on June 2 to 08:00 on June 6

@Everyone, hello, we have received a notice from supervisors in Shenzhen and Xiamen, the specific requirements are as follows:

1. Customization function restrictions and content self-examination for 20:00 on June 3 to 20:00 on June 5 (network control period)

• All games must shut down customization features for all users including [changes to] display names and avatars, chat, and so on. Newly registered accounts can use default settings for display names, avatars, in-game vocalizations (random display names, random avatars, default vocalizations, etc)
• Forums and communities must bar users from changing avatars, display names, user profiles, etc. Other user-posted content must be individually inspected before publication; if this is not possible, these functions must be shut down.
• Self-inspection and usage blocks for sensitive content: all game forums and communities must conduct self-examination for emoji packs and other material incorporating candles, tanks, “89,” “64,” or potentially component elements (numbers, gifts, pictographs, audiovisual material). If these are found, please block their use.

2. Content inspection filtering and emergency duty for 20:00 on June 2 to 08:00 on June 6 (strict examination duty period)

• Content security platforms will coordinate to adjust strategy for strictly intercepting and attacking sensitive content
• Those that have not already implemented content security measures must, outside the aforementioned network control period, strengthen checks on newly registered users’ display names, avatars, and user profiles; step up content monitoring; and increase the frequency of inspections of user-posted content such as chat messages, forum posts, etc.
• During the strict examination duty period, all project teams are requested to make arrangements and contingency plans for staffing schedules. Throughout the Dragon Boat Festival holiday period, each shift must have at least two staff members constantly reachable by phone and able to respond to supervisory instructions or sudden incidents within 5-10 minutes.

3. Related announcements and compensation

• External announcements: notices such as product announcements, emails, etc. [about the above changes and restrictions] may not include terms such as “supervisory requirements,” “sensitive period,” etc.: use strategic phrasing like “game function upgrades/maintenance/improvements.”
• Reward/compensation distribution: Please refer to previous compensation [guidelines] for the January 30 network control [period]. (June 2, 2022) [Chinese]

Similar controls had also been introduced on Weibo, WeChat, and Alipay during the Party’s 19th National Congress in October, 2017, “in order to provide users with a better experience on our platform.”

At Rest of World in October 2023, Viola Zhou and Andrew Deck described how Blued had navigated the sensitive terrain of LGBTQ+ politics in China over the previous decade:

Blued, China’s most popular gay dating app, has set its sights on becoming the world’s largest social network for the LGBTQIA community, starting with an expansion in Southeast Asia and the U.S. But back home, Blued is facing growing uncertainty due to China’s tightening control over LGBTQIA content, and growing competition for younger users from other platforms.

Launched in 2012 by entrepreneur Ma Baoli, better known by his alias Geng Le, Blued has since deftly navigated China’s precarious political environment for LGBTQIA communities to become the country’s most used gay dating app. A central part of Blued’s strategy has been to offer HIV prevention and sexual health services that align with state public health initiatives, raising awareness of LGBTQIA issues, all the while steering clear of rights-based advocacy. Blued has survived, even as other queer dating apps in China have shut down: Competitors such as Zank were forced to close, and the lesbian-focused app Rela was pulled twice from Chinese app stores.

[…] The strategy shift [toward international markets] comes as the Chinese government intensifies crackdowns on LGBTQIA-focused organizations, events, and social media accounts, making it difficult for Blued to grow its business domestically. The company shut down its surrogacy service BluedBaby, which connected gay men in China with California-based surrogacy agencies, in the wake of a headline-making surrogacy scandal in 2021.[Source]

Please refer to this specimen, “Don’t get distracted! Sun Yang again posts evidence, but web users see through it, asking: do you think we don’t know the rules?” and find and delete similar content from news segments of mobile and desktop apps, especially self-media accounts. Please submit feedback on the clean-up situation by 10:30; if no reports are found, please report “none.” (March 4, 2020) [Chinese]

On February 28, three-time Chinese Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang was suspended from competing for eight years for a drug testing violation, virtually ending his career. An article with the title above was subsequently been deleted from Baidu archives. An earlier directive on February 28 restricted coverage of his case and called on media to, "Strictly manage all kinds of attacking or defamatory commentary."

•••

If reporting on the comprehensive inquiries made by the Central Political and Legal Committee-led investigation team into the outbreak incident at Shandong’s Rencheng Prison, their conclusion, the handling of the people found responsible, or other such situations, do so in precise accordance with authoritative information from the Central Political and Legal Committee, Ministry of Justice, and Shandong provincial authorities. Do not embellish or hype. Any commentaries published must support the law-based investigation and handling. Do not produce misleading or provocative headlines. (March 4, 2020) [Chinese]

Coronavirus outbreaks at several prisons led to official investigations in February. At Rencheng Prison in Jilin, 207 people were infected, including seven guards, by late February. Previous directives also called on media to "not carry out independent newsgathering, reporting, or commentary" on prison outbreaks. A directive on March 2 limited reporting on a prisoner who had caught COVID while in detention and then traveled to Beijing upon her release, despite strict travel restrictions.

Everyone please repeat inspections involving the Aqiu [Qiu Menghuang] case. (March 4, 2020) [Chinese]

Everyone, especially news colleagues at @NewsCommunity, please claim a set of pages to inspect for old images and text involving Aqiu [Qin Menghuang] and look to see whether any need deleting. (March 4, 2020) [Chinese]

CCTV host Qin Menghuang (aka Aqiu) caused an online furor in late February when he suggested on Weibo that China should apologize to the rest of the world for the coronavirus outbreak. He further stoked the anger of nationalist internet users by referencing the phrase "Sick Man of Asia," which had earlier been used in a headline in the Wall Street Journal, leading the Chinese government to expel three of the paper’s journalists. The phrase is seen as an epithet by many as it references weak governance and is associated with the "Century of Humiliation" prior to the Communist era.

If reporting on compatriots being kept in isolation overseas, do so in accordance with information published by authoritative departments, or promptly verify with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or our embassies or consulates abroad. Do not cite foreign media reports or information circulating online. (March 4, 2020) [Chinese]

International travel during the coronavirus outbreak was an especially sensitive topic, with several previous directives limiting reporting on other countries’ travels bans on Chinese citizens, and travel into China from neighboring countries.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

1. Do not reprint or cite foreign media commentary on sensitive issues involving Xinjiang.
2. Do not republish or hype inaccurate reports on epidemic control in Russia.
3. Strengthen checks on maps and place name labels and markers involving the South China Sea. (March 3, 2020) [Chinese]

Reminders related to the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic:

1. Give low-key handling to our government’s coordination of commercial charter flights to repatriate Chinese citizens from Iran. Brief factual reports are permissible, but do not extrapolate, decipher, comment, republish foreign media reports, draw connections to Sino-Iranian relations and cooperation, or use the term "evacuate." If reporting on accommodations for Chinese citizens following their repatriation, do so in accordance with information published by the relevant provinces and authoritative departments, and do not quote unverified online information. Do not conduct interviews with repatriated people or their friends and relatives in the absence of unified arrangements.
2. In general, do not publish reports on online information such as "vegetables given to support Hubei by other regions left to go to waste."
3. If reporting on the number of fatalities from novel coronavirus pneumonia in welfare institutions, senior citizens’ homes, mental hospitals etc., proceed in accordance with information published by authoritative departments. Do not cite data published by social organizations or foreign organizations, or information circulating online.
4. In the next few days, the Hong Kong and Macao governments will repatriate groups of their citizens from Hubei. Do not create reports for domestic audiences; reports for foreign audiences may proceed on the basis of unified deployment. (March 3, 2020) [Chinese]

These directives’ instructions on the COVID-19 epidemic echo many themes from previous orders, including the tone of coverage of the epidemic in other countries, avoidance of potentially inflammatory terminology and topics such as evacuations of Hong Kong, U.S. and other citizens, and standardization of sourcing with heavy emphasis on official releases. Other recent orders had also similarly called for rectification of names involving the South China Sea.

The order about "foreign media commentary on sensitive issues involving Xinjiang" came two weeks after The New York Times’ release of reporting on a major trove of leaked documents on China’s mass detention campaign in the region. It also coincided with a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on various Western firms’ suspected use of forced labor in the region, and with criticism of the detention campaign by NGOs at the United Nations. March 3 saw the opening of an exhibition at the the Palais Des Nations in Geneva intended to rebut such condemnation during the 43rd regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council. The display included "more than 100 pictures and videos presenting a beautiful, open, and richly-endowed Xinjiang" in which "people of different ethnic groups, thanks to social stability, are able to share the fruits of development and enjoy their life and work."

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Further reminder: Coverage of press conferences of all kinds related to epidemic prevention and control must standardize sourcing and report accurately. Do not quote out of context or distort the meaning; do not engage in “clickbait.” Keep tabs on posts and comments. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

The central multidepartmental joint investigation team and [authorities from] Beijing and Hubei will today publish their findings on the matter of persons released after completion of their sentences from Wuhan Women’s Prison who then traveled from Wuhan to Beijing while infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia. If reporting on this, do so in accordance with information published by authoritative departments, and do not aggregate, hype, or comment. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

In light of the findings in the Beijing notice “On the Case of Huang Mouying Traveling From Wuhan to Beijing,” increase clean-up of attacks on the Party and government and negative comments on the public security organs. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

On findings on the incident of a woman traveling from Wuhan to Beijing that involve Beijing, standardize sourcing, do not link to old news, and clean up negative comments. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

In general, do not report on supervision by public opinion of epidemic control work in the city of Beijing. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

Reporting on border control measures on visitors to China from South Korea and other neighboring countries must proceed in strict accordance with information from authoritative departments such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Report objectively on the current epidemic situation in South Korea and the Korean side’s efforts to combat the epidemic, and avoid criticizing and even disparaging the Korean government and public’s tepid response. Reliably report on border restrictions for visitors to China from South Korea in relevant parts of the country, and do not draw comparisons between each of the two countries’ border control measures toward visitors from the other. Emphasize our local governments’ duty to implement the relevant rules within their jurisdictions, take the proper necessary steps according to the local epidemic situation and prevention and control requirements, and treat Chinese and foreign citizens equally without discrimination. Promptly find and delete misinformation such as “Number of Koreans Coming to China Soars,” “One After Another, Koreans Seek Refuge in China,” and so on. Reporting on the epidemic situation in Japan and other neighboring countries can be carried out with reference to the same requirements. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

These directives continue almost daily orders throughout early 2020 restricting coverage of specific issues related to the spread of the coronavirus. In February, Huang Mouying was released from Wuhan Women’s Prison with a novel coronavirus infection. She later traveled to Beijing, prompting a national investigation into the circumstances under which she was able to do so during the implementation of tight travel restrictions, especially from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Several previous directives also limited reporting on border restrictions barring travel into and from China during the coronavirus outbreak.

•••

2020 is the year of the final, decisive assault to eliminate poverty. Promptly block, find, and delete related negative content, take strict precautions against backflow of harmful information from abroad, and strictly manage “low level red,” “high level black,” and comments that deliberately stir up extreme public sentiment. Firmly grasp orientation guidance of hotspots, be strict in checks and audits, prevent any narrative that treats special cases as if they were a general problem, or treat local issues as if they were the overall picture. Prevent disorderly application of “poverty reduction tags” from interfering with the overall attack on poverty. In general, do not conduct public investigative reports on sensitive issues involving poverty or on problems for whose solution conditions are not currently in place. Strengthen content checks and management of posts and comments. (March 2, 2020) [Chinese]

In 2014, Xi Jinping proposed “Precision Poverty Alleviation,” a campaign to end poverty in rural China by 2020 that was later enshrined in China’s 13th Five-Year Plan. In 2020, the Chinese government declared that mission accomplished, though persistent income inequality, the COVID pandemic, and natural disasters undermined those claims.

"High-level black" (gāojíhēi 高级黑) refers to sarcastic overenthusiasm in the expression of public opinion. It is often paired with "low-level red," (dījíhóng 低级红) which indicates self-defeating displays of nationalism. Read more about the use of these terms from China Media Project.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

1. Without prior arrangement, do not report information that is likely to trigger public panic involving big data analysis of the numbers and destinations of people who left Wuhan and Hubei, the number of people with whom they have come into close contact, emerging epidemic situation hotspots, and so on. Do not use potentially controversial terms such as "tracking," "categorizing," "locating," "tracing," "routing," and do not report personal information such as names and phone numbers.
2. Reports on the epidemic and control situations in foreign countries should contain accurate, comprehensive, and objective information, and should not overly criticize or ridicule the "loopholes" or "mistakes" of the countries concerned. Do not make simple comparisons to China’s prevention and control measures, and do not use terms like "copying homework." (March 1, 2020) [Chinese]

Both parts of this order reflect the general push of directives on coverage of the COVID-19 epidemic to "control the temperature" of public opinion on topics including the initial outbreak; the new virus’s prominent early victim, whistleblowing doctor Li Wenliang; the prospects for a cure; and the epidemic’s economic impact. The second instruction echoes part of an extensive earlier directive issued on February 26, which also cautioned against potentially inflammatory coverage of other countries’ border restrictions against Chinese citizens. Other earlier directives aimed to avoid stoking international tensions by calling for "low-key" coverage of China’s efforts to obtain protective equipment from abroad "to avoid a public opinion backlash in the countries concerned and consequent obstructions to our overseas procurement work."

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Please strictly enforce use of labels and place names in line with the Chinese government’s in maps of the South China Sea; avoid the use of maps or place names that violate our South China Sea policy or stance in news reports or on web pages to avoid the transmission of erroneous information to foreign countries. Materials for foreign publication, especially in countries with involvement in the South China Sea and those including maps or place names related to the South China Sea, should be stringently examined and strictly reviewed, and do not mention foreign publications that violate our South China Sea policies, claims, and positions. (February 29, 2020) [Source]

The immediate trigger for this directive is unclear, but its instructions reflect Chinese authorities’ longstanding insistence on rigid adherence to its territorial claims in written or graphical materials.

•••

In accordance with the National Development and Reform Commission and National Health Commission’s guidance on the selection and use of face masks, it is permissible not to wear them in well-ventilated outdoor areas while maintaining a suitable distance from others. In order to guide standardized protection measures amid the return to work and resumption of production in all departments and across the country, people wearing face masks should not be shown in video or photographs in reports on spring plowing, outdoor construction work, etc. in areas outside Hubei. (February 29, 2020) [Source]

These instructions show efforts to prevent unnecessary mask use in the face of stubborn supply constraints even for those on the front lines. A comparison of national guidance on mask use published in The Lancet on May 1 noted that although "some provinces and municipalities in China [including Shanghai] have enforced compulsory face mask policies in public areas […] China’s national guideline has adopted a risk-based approach in offering recommendations for using face masks among health-care workers and the general public." Various reports in the days and weeks surrounding this directive described mask shortages among medical workers, manufacturers’ struggles to meet demand, Chinese authorities’ seizure of millions of fake or substandard masks, and China’s efforts first to procure masks from abroad—a recurring subject in earlier directives—and then to reserve enough of its own output for domestic use as global demand surged. Governments elsewhere faced similar challenges in managing supply and demand of vital protective equipment. See more directives on the coronavirus pandemic from CDT.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Regarding the arbitration result in the case of swimmer Sun Yang and the International Swimming Federation (FINA), take the Chinese Swimming Association’s official statements as standard without exception, and do not infer, decipher, or comment. Do not translate foreign media reports without authorization. Strictly control the temperature, do not put stories on the news or main front pages, and do not send news app push alerts. Strictly manage all kinds of attacking or defamatory commentary. (February 28, 2020) [Chinese]

On February 28, three-time Chinese Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang was suspended from competing for eight years for a drug testing violation. A ruling by the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in a complaint by the World Anti-Doping Agency banned Sun from the upcoming games in Tokyo, and would "most likely end his career," reported The New York Times.

•••

1. The National Development and Reform Commission will soon publicly release minimum purchase price levels for the 2020 rice crop, and will also set limits on purchase amounts. In the absence of unified arrangements, do not report, comment, or republish.

2. Regarding the Central Propaganda Bureau and Central Culture Office’s launch in Wuhan of the “Voluntary Service and Care Campaign” for epidemic prevention and control, do not report for now until arrangements have been made. (February 28, 2020) [Chinese]

CDT editors were unable to find news in English or Chinese on the NDRC release mentioned in this directive.

The second point listed in this directive is the latest in a near daily succession of propaganda orders on the coronavirus pandemic. Several previous directives had also limited coverage of civil society aid in the midst of the crisis, especially donations from “disadvantaged social groups.”

•••

When some websites reported on the National Tax Office’s February 27 press conference, they abbreviated “digitized special VAT receipts” as “digital receipts,” creating a serious inaccuracy. Please change “digital receipts” to “digitized special VAT receipts” as soon as possible. If it cannot be changed, please immediately delete the relevant reports. (February 28, 2020) [Chinese]

On February 27 Chinese authorities pledged to finish drafting new financial legislation, including a law on value-added tax.

•••

For reports about research findings on the efficacy of pharmaceuticals, Chinese medicines, or vaccines against the novel coronavirus pneumonia, standardize the distribution workflow for news dispatches, and proceed in strict accordance with information published by the State Council Joint Prevention mechanism and authoritative departments such as the National Health Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology, etc. Do not rush to publish unverified information, and do not overstate or exaggerate curative effects. (February 28, 2020) [Chinese]

Among the many recent COVID-19-related propaganda directives since early January, several were aimed at medical research, vaccine development, and the promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine for coronavirus prevention and treatment.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Coverage of press conferences of all kinds related to epidemic prevention and control must standardize sourcing and report accurately. Do not quote out of context or distort the meaning; do not engage in “clickbait.” Keep tabs on posts and comments. (February 27, 2020) [Chinese]

Please find and delete false content based on this sample, and do not republish. (February 27, 2020) [Chinese]

1. Regarding China’s provision of aid to relevant countries, take care not to give undue prominence to our material assistance, and do not report details.
2. Many media outlets have published and broadcast images of cured child patients bowing to medical workers with inconsistent explanatory information. Newsgathering and editing workflows must be strictly standardized to ensure that the content of the reports is true. (February 27, 2020) [Chinese]

On the matter of the woman surnamed Huang from Wuhan, Hubei, do not take independent action, and report in strict accordance with regulations. (February 27, 2020) [Chinese]

Directives sent almost daily throughout the first two months of 2020 focused on restricting and controlling coverage of the novel coronavirus and of Wuhan, the outbreak’s epicenter. This directive briefly mentions a woman surnamed Huang, who was released from Wuhan Women’s Prison after serving her time there, and somehow managed to travel from Wuhan to Beijing, despite Wuhan’s strict lockdown. Ms. Huang later tested positive for the coronavirus and was admitted to hospital. (Wuhan Women’s Prison had 279 confirmed cases of coronavirus; the head of the prison, Zhou Yukun, was fired for negligence due to his handling of the outbreak.) A directive two days earlier ordered media "do not report, do not reprint, and do not comment" on mask donations to Hong Kong. Some general directives do not indicate the specific news or article they are targeting in the version seen by CDT.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Reminders related to the novel coronavirus epidemic:

1. Keep a firm grasp when reporting on the coronavirus situation and control measures in foreign countries. Do not overly criticize or ridicule their "loopholes" or "mistakes." Do not make simple comparisons to China’s prevention and control measures. In order to avoid backlash from foreign countries, do not use terms like “copying homework.”

2. Concerning the adoption of necessary entry prevention, control, and quarantine measures taken towards South Korea, Japan, and other countries, report in strict accordance with statements from the Foreign Ministry and other authoritative departments. Do not report control measures taken by relevant locations without unified arrangement to avoid inflaming public opinion. Do not use extreme wording or triggering descriptions such as "uniformly prohibit," "strictly prevent," or "completely close." "Clickbait" behavior must be eliminated.

3. Regarding work resuming in tourist areas, restaurants, malls, etc., this must be handled in accordance with the principles of moderation. Do not highlight or aggregate reports. Guide the public to avoid large gatherings and to exercise sound judgment about going outside.

4. Concerning research and development into a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, further standardization of the publication and information control process is needed. Use only authoritative information issued by the State Council Joint Prevention mechanism, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Health Commission. Don’t hastily publish unconfirmed information, and do not exaggerate the efficacy of vaccines developed by social organizations. Do not speculate about the vaccine prospects, and prevent inaccurate reports and confusing information. (February 26, 2020) [Chinese]

On the matter of the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Regional government’s announcement of arrangements for retrieving Hong Kong residents stranded in the mainland, do not push news segments in pop-ups, do not post on front pages, do not start hot topics in interactive sections, do not show in trends, and promptly manage extreme comments. (February 26, 2020) [Chinese]

Earlier entries in the stream of coronavirus-related directives throughout February had included similar guidance on the issues of foreign opinion, border closures and other restrictions, and medical research.

Hong Kong’s government had announced on February 24 that it would begin to evacuate some 2,700 citizens from Hubei after a month of lockdown. Such moves had reportedly been blocked by central authorities aggrieved at similar moves by foreign countries; one earlier directive contained detailed restrictions on coverage of the American withdrawal of consular staff from Wuhan soon after the lockdown began.

•••

All departments and terminals publishing video pieces must persist in using higher authorities’ source information. Do not arbitrarily use source content from other media outlets. (February 26, 2020) [Chinese]

On the basis of this sample, please clean up and delete the articles, photos, etc. [listed]. Report relevant data on the clean-up to the editor on duty. Take note, this sample should not be circulated. (February 26, 2020) [Chinese]

Please search for and delete videos and articles related to this video sample. If any information is cleaned up please report to the editor on duty. (February 26, 2020) [Chinese]

CDT has not confirmed what specific content was targeted in the last three directives above.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.

Regarding the Panchen Lama’s Tibetan New Year greeting, it must not appear on front pages. Control the temperature in interactive [comment] sections, do not set up topics or hot searches. Do not increase propagation about or hype Tibetan Buddhism. (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

The Panchen Lama is the second highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, following the Dalai Lama. In 1995, the Dalai Lama had followed Buddhist ritual to select the 11th Panchen Lama, but the six-year-old boy he named, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, soon disappeared from public view and is presumed to be in state custody. Soon after his disappearance, the Chinese Communist Party named Gyaltsen Norbu as the Panchen Lama, but most Tibetan Buddhists don’t recognize his legitimacy. While Gyaltsen Norbu has been very low-profile for the past 25 years, in recent months he has played a more public role. During the Lunar New Year, he issued a public statement praising the CCP’s religious policies.

•••

Concerning Gui Minhai, do not report, forward, or comment without previous unified arrangement. (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

Hong Kong-based Swedish citizen Gui Minhai was sentenced to ten years in prison in late February for “illegally providing intelligence” to foreigners. Gui was one of five Hong Kong booksellers who were detained abroad and brought to China in 2015. Gui’s location was unknown until he appeared on CCTV in January 2016 making a forced confession. He is the last of the five to remain in prison. A previous directive on February 22 also limited "unauthorized" reporting on his case.

•••

Do not report on the Central Civilization Office of the Central Propaganda Department’s launching of volunteer care activities in Wuhan. (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

Reference the sample text and delete: “First Batch of Novel Coronavirus Vaccine has Produced Antibodies, Shi Yigong’s Xihu University Has Uplifting News, Chinese Speed.” (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

Recently, reports concerning the novel coronavirus epidemic situation have included incorrectly named administrative divisions. For example, “Beizhen in Jinzhou, Liaoning” was mislabeled as “Panjin, Liaoning,” and “Loudi, Hunan” was mistakenly referred to as “Loudi, Hubei.” Please pay close attention to administrative divisions and affiliations to ensure accuracy in news reports. (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

These three directives are part of a stream of near daily orders on how to report on the coronavirus pandemic. Several previous directives had also limited coverage of civil society aid in the midst of the crisis, especially donations from "disadvantaged social groups."

•••

Concerning the 16th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress, strictly regulate source material, use wire copy from Xinhua News Agency and reports from supervisory agency China Media Group. Regulate posts and comments. (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

On February 24, the Standing Committee for the NPC announced it would delay its annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing due to the COVID crisis. The meetings were later held in May.

•••

Newly sacked personnel:
Xu Guang, former Vice Governor and member of the Party Leadership Group of Henan. (February 24, 2020) [Chinese]

Xu Guang was dismissed from his post and was later tried on corruption charges.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.