
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 China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (中國文學藝術界聯合會, CFLAC) is a national people’s organization led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), described officially as “a bridge and link for the party and the government to connect the literary and art circles.” Founded in July 1949, the CCP Central Propaganda Department (中央宣傳部) organized networks of cultural workers’ associations headed by CFLAC. Though characterized as a non-governmental organization, CFLAC is treated in practice as a government organization under direct CCP supervision, with over two million registered members and 49 regional branches. Its remit extends to literature, film, drama, fine arts, music, photography, calligraphy, dance, and folk arts, with branches extending to the provincial, municipal, and district level across China.
