
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.

The Ta Kung Pao Wen Wei International Communication Center (大公文汇国际传播中心) was officially established on November 12, 2023, during the Overseas Chinese Media Cooperation Organization Annual Conference in Dongguan, serving as Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao Wen Wei Po Media Group’s mainland operational headquarters. The center integrates the group’s media brands, platforms, activities, and overseas resources to serve government departments and large enterprises in “international communication capacity building, foreign public opinion monitoring, overseas brand promotion, economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges.” According to official descriptions, the center aims to “tell China’s stories well” using “language that the international community can understand and accept,” organizing activities including Jin Yong centenary promotions, World Water Day campaigns, and Yellow Emperor ancestor worship ceremonies — standard PRC soft power initiatives positioning cultural events as international communication rather than independent media operations.
