China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), has recently confirmed the authenticity of a CNPC list of “words to be used with caution” now circulating on the Internet. The list, 3,000 characters in length, includes more than a hundred terms the company regards as “sensitive,” and that should either be “used with great care” or “not used.”
CNPC has defended the existence of the list, saying it’s nothing more than an effort at ensuring that its internal corporate communications are better regulated and of better quality. The company insists that it has never applied the memo to language directed outside the company.
CNPC’s response itself is a game of semantics and sensitivity. As the people who drafted this CNPC memo no doubt understand, and as Chinese journalists know only too well, “use with great care” generally does suggest that use is prohibited. The real point here is that “prohibited” is itself a word that must be “used with great care.” Hence the preference for “use with great care” or “don’t use.”
As for this distinction between application of the memo for internal company documents versus external company documents, this too is a stroke of obfuscation. A section header on CNPC’s list of sensitive words makes it very plain that these rules apply to the control of language use in both internal documents and external documents.
From a corporate communication perspective, the careful selection of words in company communications and documents such as press releases is simply a necessary part of business culture. Companies around the world should be expected to do exactly the same thing. So anyone who believes in market economics should see no particular cause for criticism in the CNPC case. This is simply good and proper business management.
But while CNPC’s internal list of sensitive words might be one of the longest, this does not reflect successful public opinion channeling or public relations on the company’s part. In fact, their actions in this regard might be characterized as incredibly childish.
What those defending the actions of CNPC can’t seem to understand is why exactly an internal corporate management policy should become such a flashpoint of public attention and anger. This is just a corporate action to massage its own public image, so why should the company be accused of avoiding supervision by public opinion, or public scrutiny?
This is something that cannot be understood simply by flipping through the nearest economics textbook. One has to understand this corporate behavior and the social response in terms of the practical realities of China today, and the unique nature of business as it is done here.
First, notice how when CNPC comes up against public criticism, it defends itself by emphasizing its identity as an enterprise, washing its hands of politics. When, on the other hand, it wishes to manipulate public opinion to its advantage, it can emphasize the priority of political stability. When the company is scrabbling for money in the marketplace, it shows an insatiable appetite for capital. But as people call for the fairer application of market principles to combat market monopolization, CNPC upholds its state-owned enterprise status and advocates ‘self-strengthening’ (做强做大) [ie., the need to develop competitive state industry players]. The company’s upper management are all state cadres with administrative ranks. As upper management at enterprises, they can draw high salaries. Meanwhile, as high-level public servants they can be assigned to various departments to serve as officials.
This is why people glimpse the pragmatic shadow of administrative control in this “list of sensitive words,” and a guiding intent whose meaning extends beyond the company itself.
In the nine major sections of this list of sensitive words, there are two things that have most drawn the interest of Internet users. The first is that when company leaders go on visits to local areas, the words “inspection” and
“inspection tour” (which suggest the leaders are acting in an official government capacity) must not be used — rather, they should talk about the leaders going out on “surveys,” “investigations” or tours of “solicitation.” And when talking about the company’s business results, employees are not to use “monopoly” (垄断), “excessive profits” (暴利), “rich and powerful” (豪门), “big shots” (大腕), “recession” (衰退), etc. The words “turning point” (拐点) and “borrowing”
(借债), “downturn” (下滑) and “losses” (亏损) are to be used “with great care.”
These leaders might genuinely be going out in “solicitation” when they visit local areas, but everyone is inclined to feel, given practical circumstances, that this is mostly formalistic and phony, and people have a strong antipathy to the wasteful use of public resources [which is at issue because these are state-owned enterprises].
As for “excessive profits,” “rich and powerful” and “monopoly” — these are irrefutable facts [in our society of Market-Leninism, where business and power are inextricable linked]. The fact that these are stark realities but cannot be talked about is naturally a major joke as Internet users see it.
There are also a number of contradictions in this list of sensitive words, which reveal the public opinion abyss in which these powerful enterprises find themselves in China’s period of social transition.
For example, when company leaders attend various grand celebrations and conferences, the words “personally” (亲自), “cordially” (莅临) and “graciously” (光临) invited are not to be used, because these words create an unfavorable impression. The list also stipulates that when releases are made about speeches given by company bosses, a number of special words, like “issued important instructions” (做重要指示), “made an important speech” (发表重要讲话), “pointed out” (指出), “emphasized” (强调), “demanded” (要求) and “issued a speech” (发表讲话) are to be left to state leaders.
The online jabber surrounding CNPC’s list of sensitive words is a reflection of a social mood in China. Monopoly that relies on administrative power is something people see no end to, nor do they see any genuine effort to address it. In fact, the situation is only growing worse, while small and medium-sized companies are stuck and powerless.
It only makes sense that Internet users search about hungrily for an opportunity to mock and sneer at power. Even if the CNPC amounts to normal corporate behavior, it is bound to be distorted and misunderstood given the realities of China’s political and economic environment.
Look behind this seemingly irrational online display and you’ll discover very rational and intelligible causes.
This article originally appeared in Chinese at the Oriental Morning Post.
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CNPC “Sensitive Word” List
中国石油天然气集团公司
新闻报道和公文稿件慎用词汇表
为进一步规范新闻发布和公文稿件用语，正确引导舆论，更好地服务于集团公司改革、发展、稳定的大局，根据集团公司《关于加强新闻发布制度建设意见的通知》（中油办字〔2006〕330号）和《重大敏感信息发布管理暂行规定》（中油办字〔2007〕315号）文件精神，参照新华社有关新闻报道禁用词，制订《中国石油天然气集团公司新闻报道和公文稿件慎用词汇表》，供新闻发布之用。
一、集团公司领导活动
1．报道集团公司领导出席各类庆典、会议等活动时，不使用“亲自”、“莅临”、“光临”等词汇，应使用“出席”、“参加”等。
2．报道集团公司领导赴国（境）外执行公务时，慎用“访问”、“出访”等词汇，应使用“谈判”、“签约”、“业务交流”、“参加会议”等与实际任务对应的词汇。
3．集团公司领导到基层调研、检查工作，不使用“考察”、“视察”等词汇，应使用“慰问”、“调研”、“检查”等。
4．报道集团公司领导讲话，除党组主要领导外，慎用“作重要指示”、“发表重要讲话”等词汇，应使用“指出”、“强调”、“要求”、“批示”、“发表讲话”等。
5．国家部委、地方政府及企业相关领导拜访集团公司领导时，不使用“接见”等词汇，应使用“会见”、“会谈”、“拜会”、“拜访”等。
6．报道中涉及的领导职务，不使用“首长”、“老板”、“老大”、“老总”、“班长”、“一把手”等词汇，应使用“公司领导”、“公司主要领导”或使用规范的职务名称等；在党内会议上，不能称呼行政职务，应使用“同志”、“党组成员”、“党组领导”、“党组主要领导”或规范职务名称等。
二、经营状况
7．报道集团公司经营业绩时，不使用“垄断”、“暴利”、“豪门”、“大腕”、“衰退”等词汇，慎用“拐点”、“借债”、“下滑”、“举债”、“亏损”等词汇，应使用“营业收入”、“上缴税费”、“利润总额”、“增加盈利”、“稳定增长”、“运行平稳”、“增速变缓”、“健康发展”、“发展势头良好”等。
8．报道集团公司上缴国家的“特别收益金”时，不使用“暴利税”，应使用法定称谓“特别收益金”。
9．涉及集团公司税收等报道时，不使用“避税”等词汇。
三、炼化生产和市场供应
10．报道炼油能力、市场供应时，慎用“产能扩张”、“争夺市场”、“占领市场”等词汇，应使用“增加”、“提高”、“扩大”等。
11．报道油品销售时，不使用“搭售”、“配售”、“断供”、“降价促销”、“礼品促销”等词汇。
12．报道油价变化时，慎用“涨价”、“降价”等词汇，应使用“调整”、“上调”、“下调”、“调价”、“波动”、“提高”、“上浮”、“回落”、“冲破”等。
13．报道油气供应紧张时，不使用“油荒”、“气荒”、“断档”等词汇，应使用“供求矛盾”、“资源紧张”、“油品紧张”、“天然气紧张”等。
14．涉及集团公司市场供应的报道，不使用“占领”、“控制”、“蚕食”、“挤出”、“通吃”、“国进民退”、“保证国家能源安全”、“保证国家能源供应”等词汇，应使用“保障国家能源安全”、“保障国家能源供应”等。
四、人事劳资和薪酬
15．报道集团公司领导职务变动时，不使用“交棒”、“卸任”、“换帅”、“更替”、“掌舵”、“替换”、“空降”、“一肩挑”、“掌门人”、“头把交椅”等词汇，应使用“担任”、“任命”、“接任”、“辞任”、“离任”等。
16．报道用工制度时，不使用“裁员”、“减员”、“买断”、“下岗”、“待岗”、“瘦身”、“冗员”、“大锅饭”、“优化下岗”等词汇，慎用“减员增效”、“精减人员”等词汇，应使用“总量调控”、“控制机构编制”、“控制用工总量”、“控制人工成本”、“优化用工结构”、“依法规范劳动用工”等。
17．报道中涉及员工岗位时，慎用“核心岗位”、“重要岗位”、“关键岗位”等词汇，应使用“一线员工”、“基层员工”、“技术岗位”等词汇。
18．报道薪酬等事项时，慎用“高薪”、“调资”、“涨工资”、“高福利”、“隐性收入”、“薪酬上涨”、“灰色收入”、“提高或增加收入”等词汇，应使用“规范薪酬分配”、“完善薪酬体系”等。
五、资本市场
19．报道中石油在资本市场的表现时，不使用“圈钱”、“套现”、“敛财”、“缩水”、“破发”、“上市旗舰”、“市值蒸发”、“头把交椅”、“头筹”、“A股之最”、“收益最佳”、“第一红筹股”、“盈利能力最强”、“全球市值第一”、“资本市场的引擎”、“亚洲最赚钱的公司”等词汇，慎用“走红”、“全线飘红”、“腾飞”、“登陆”、“护盘”、“荣登股榜”等词汇，应使用“增持”、“表现良好”、“超出预期”、“高出发行价”、“低于发行价”等，可使用“反弹”等。
20．涉及资本运营的报道时，不使用“救市”、“现金吃紧”、“现金短缺”等词汇，慎用“资金紧张”等词汇，应使用“发售”、“募集”、“融资”、“增持”、“回购”、“发行债券”、“公开发行”、“提升公司价值”等。
六、安全环保、稳定与法律纠纷
21．需公开报道的生产类突发事件，不使用“中国石油集团某某公司”、“中国石油某某公司”等词汇，应以事发企业名义对外发布，如“某某公司发生一起交通事故”等。
22．需公开报道的矿区内突发事件，不使用“中国石油某某公司某某小区”等词汇，应以事发地所在小区名字报道，如“某省或某市某小区发生火灾”等。
23．报道治安等案件时，在法院宣判之前，不使用“罪犯”、“犯罪分子”等词汇，慎用“不法分子或不法人员”等词汇，应使用“嫌犯”、“涉案人员”、“犯罪嫌疑人”等称谓。
24．涉及法律纠纷方面的报道，不使用“中石油赔偿”、“中石油遭索赔”、“规避法律风险”、“规避法律责任”等词汇，应使用“依法维护权利”、“某某案开审”、“某某案审结”等。
七、国际业务
25．报道海外业务时，慎用“海外收入”、“当地黑人”、“获取资源”、“石油安全”、“海外获得原油产量”等词汇，应使用“当地居民”、“海外油气作业产量和权益产量”等，多强调“合作”、“发展”、“互利共赢”。
26．报道海外业务拓展时，不使用“海外扩张”、“海外兵团”、“大举进军”等词汇，应使用“海外收购”、“海外并购”、“公司重组”等。
27．对于相关资源国，不使用“穆斯林国家”或“穆斯林世界”等词汇，应使用“伊斯兰国家”或“伊斯兰世界”。
28．报道达尔富尔问题时，不使用“阿拉伯民兵”等词汇，应使用“武装民兵”或“部落武装”等。
八、企业称谓
29．报道集团公司所属企业时，不使用“存续企业”、“非存续企业”等称谓，而应使用“上市企业”、“未上市企业”或使用集团公司规定的企业统一名称。
30．涉及集团公司及所属企业的报道，慎用“据悉”、“据了解”、“据有关人士”、“据该公司人士称”、“据内部人士称”等词汇，应使用规范的企业名称或人员职务名称。
九、其他
31．报道中石油在国民经济中的地位时，慎用“最大”、“第一”、“航母”、“旗舰”、“领头羊”、“排头兵”等词汇，应使用统一规范的“国有重要骨干企业”、“国家特大型石油石化企业集团”等。
32．报道中石油生产制造的各类产品、商品或使用效果时，慎用“最佳”、“最好”、“最著名”等具有强烈评价色彩的词汇。
33．报道集团公司科技成就时，慎用“唯一”、“世界第一”、“仅此一家”、“仅此一项”等词汇，应使用“领先”、“位居前列”、“重大突破”、“自主创新技术”等。
34．不要将“全国人大常委会副委员长”称作“全国人大副委员长”，也不要将“省人大常委会副主任”称作“省人大副主任”。各级人大常委会的委员，不要称作“人大常委”。
35．其他有关新闻发布未尽事宜，参照集团公司相关信息发布管理规定执行。