
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 Central Propaganda Department (中共中央宣傳部) is the internal office within the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party charged with ideology dissemination, media control and the coordination of propaganda both across China and toward the outside world. The office exercises direct leadership over China’s media control system, including the issuing of “guidance” to newspapers, magazines and online outlets as well as the radio, television, publishing and film industries — ensuring that all outlets, products and initiatives align with party policies. The CPD coordinates with the propaganda offices of local party committees at the provincial, city and county levels. Since the early 1990s, the department has been officially known as the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the CCP, with the use of the word “publicity” an attempt to downplay the deeply political aspect of the office’s daily work.
