
X Marks the Spot
Elon Musk’s new messaging app was built with Chinese users in mind. It was censored before it ever reached them, with related news coverage from state media also pulled down.

On April 17, 2026, the Paris Chinese Cultural Center hosted an event that brought together scholars, publishers, and industry representatives from both countries, focusing on technological innovation and cross-cultural communication in the age of artificial intelligence. The event, “Encounter China: Civilization Exchange Dialogue” (遇鑒中國」文明交流對話會), was organized by China International Communications Group (中國國際傳播集團), or CICG, a state-controlled media organization. According to Chinese state media, participants discussed digital publishing and how AI can facilitate interactions between China and France, highlighting the growing role of emerging technologies in shaping future cultural exchanges. The event was also framed around the Chinese Communist Party’s concept of “new quality productive forces” (新質生產力), a political slogan coined by Xi Jinping in 2023 to describe a state-directed, innovation-led economic model emphasizing high technology and self-sufficiency. CICG editor-in-chief Gao Anming (高岸明) said that AI-assisted translation could serve as a tool for expanding Sino-French cultural ties. The event also promoted “China Keywords: New Quality Productive Forces,” a multilingual book series compiled and published by CICG in 15 languages, which presents official Chinese Communist Party political and economic concepts, framed as objective definitions, to international audiences.
