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kong qingdong on reporters a nuisance

Right now journalists are a major public nuisance in our country.

Right now journalists are a major public nuisance in our country.

David Bandurski

CMP Director

Latest Articles

China’s Communication Centers Stumble

Dec 18, 2025 | David Bandurski

As Beijing rapidly expands local propaganda outposts to boost its global image, systemic problems are undermining the ambitious international communication push.

The Chinese Core of “Uganda’s ChatGPT”

Dec 17, 2025 | Alex Colville

A government-supported deployment of China’s Qwen in the east-central African country seeks to harness the free technology to provide AI to the country’s multiple obscure languages. But what does this chatbot have to say?

China’s Invisible Journalists

Dec 16, 2025 | Xiao Bing

They make foreign reporting in China possible yet work without bylines or legal protection. For news assistants — also known as “fixers” — every story can carry professional risk and personal cost.

The Chinese Province Reshaping AI in Southeast Asia

Dec 12, 2025 | Alex Colville

Guangxi represents the most concerted government effort so far to push the nation’s AI products abroad. A chatbot created for the Malaysian government is evidence of how AI can help reshape the region as a Chinese sphere of influence.

Global Dreams in Small-Town China

Dec 12, 2025 | David Bandurski

As international communication centers proliferate across China down to the county level, Xi Jinping’s grand vision for global “discourse power” meets absurd local reality.

AI Cop Signals VPN Crackdown

Nov 13, 2025 | David Bandurski

China’s AI-generated police spokesman returned this week with warnings to all Chinese that circumventing the Great Firewall threatens personal safety and national security — and will be punished.

Beyond Blue and White

Nov 10, 2025 | David Bandurski

Former Global Times editor Hu Xijin warns that official notices are replacing journalism, undermining China’s ability to communicate effectively during crises.

Hubei Hit-and-Run Escapes the Headlines

Oct 29, 2025 | Alex Colville

When a car struck schoolchildren in Hubei, authorities silenced the story for three days as a key political meeting was underway in Beijing. The blackout reveals how China’s information controls have intensified — and how citizens are struggling to break through.

Beijing Frames the Trump Visit

Oct 28, 2025 | David Bandurski

Two pseudonymous commentaries in yesterday’s People’s Daily — and a media event earlier this month in South Korea — reveal China’s systematic approach to shaping elite opinion ahead of the Xi-Trump meeting in Seoul.

Agent 012339 Reports for Duty

Oct 20, 2025 | CMP Staff

China’s Ministry of State Security deploys an AI anchor in full uniform to deliver national security warnings on social media.

Foreign Voices for Xi’s Global Vision

Oct 17, 2025 | David Bandurski

Continuing its push to portray Xi’s “Four Great Global Initiatives” as a boon for a multipolar world, the CCP’s flagship newspaper features a headline mention of the quartet by an African parliamentarian.

Xi Jinping’s Global Quartet

Oct 16, 2025 | David Bandurski | Belt and Road, BRI, china, Chinese discourse, Chinese economy, Chinese media, Chinese trade, development, GCI, GDI, GGI, Global Civilization Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Governance Initiative, human rights

With a crucial party plenum next week and the UN’s 80th anniversary approaching, a Qiushi article positions Xi’s four global initiatives as China’s blueprint for reordering the world.

The Repetition Complex

Oct 12, 2025 | David Bandurski

Eight days, eight articles, eight assurances that China’s economy is thriving and everything is fine. When did confidence require this much convincing?

The Malice Police

Sep 26, 2025 | David Bandurski

China’s latest internet special actions, a campaign against “negative emotions,” lifts the lid on the country’s obsessive and capricious control culture.

How AI Deals with Dark Thoughts

Sep 11, 2025 | Alex Colville

While China invites criticism for AI values that prioritize political controls, it’s hard to deny that Chinese-made chatbots outperform on suicide prevention safeguards. We tested a few models for context.

Hard Times for the Face of the “Wolf Warrior”

Sep 5, 2025 | Alex Colville

Film star Wu Jing is well-known as the rough, tough face of China’s “Wolf Warrior” spirit. So what does it mean if Chinese netizens see his ridiculous side—especially during a week when Beijing staged a massive military parade to showcase the nation’s muscularity?

Summer Break, Power Intact

Aug 29, 2025 | Alex Colville

The surge of headlines for Xi Jinping during his recent visit to Tibet, coming shortly after the annual lull of the official Beidaihe vacation period, was another sign that the Chinese leader continues to dominate.

Central Media and the Local Soft Power Push

Aug 26, 2025 | David Bandurski

Despite Beijing’s push to localize international communication efforts since 2018, flagship outlets like China Daily remain essential to external propaganda.

After the Flood

Aug 11, 2025 | David Bandurski

The tragic death of 31 people in a care home near Beijing during floods last month was given a textbook makeover to preserve the Party’s image. But there were also signs of life under the icy surface of Chinese journalism.

Misreading the News About Nvidia

Aug 5, 2025 | David Bandurski

Media outlets worldwide reported that China’s official People’s Daily newspaper slammed the chipmaker. But there are important complications to this oversimplified take.

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