Chinese universities set for larger role in spreading propaganda through social media
The Chinese government will strengthen the propaganda power of several higher education institutions and groups through the use of social media, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.
The report listed 200 social media accounts focused on ideology and politics, whose propaganda influence is slated to increase. They included accounts of Tsinghua University, Peking University Youth, China University Students Online, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and the Communist Youth League accounts at various universities.
The list was jointly announced by the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department, the Cyberspace Administration, the Ministry of Education and the Communist Youth League, Xinhua said.
The new propaganda effort comes amid this year’s campaign to teach the public about the history of the Chinese Communist Party, which is marking the 100th anniversary of its formation. A new version of the party’s history has been selected for this purpose.
The Ministry of Education has compiled a list of books deemed unsuitable for primary and secondary school students to learn about the history of the party, the nation and the military.
China has strengthened its efforts to boost ideological and political education at all levels of schools since 2013, according to an analyst cited by Taiwan’s Central News Agency. During that year’s national meeting on propaganda work, Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping said the party should consolidate the leading role of Marxism in ideological teaching in schools.
The social media propaganda efforts of higher education institutions will focus on promoting the history of the party, the nation, the reform and opening of China, as well as the development of socialism, the Taiwanese analyst said. This work could boost confidence in China’s regime and consolidate its legitimacy, he added.
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