Guangxi Daily serves as the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Committee (中國共產黨廣西壯族自治區委員會). Established on December 3, 1949, as the CCP Guangxi Provincial Committee’s organ, it relocated from Guilin to Nanning on January 22, 1950, following the province’s liberation. When Guangxi became an autonomous region on March 5, 1958, the newspaper became the regional party committee’s official organ. In December 2009, the Guangxi Daily Media Group (廣西日報傳媒集團) was established while maintaining the newspaper’s operations. The publication claims to be “the most authoritative and influential party committee organ newspaper in Guangxi” (廣西最具權威性和影響力的黨委機關報), guided by Marxist-Leninist principles, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Three Represents, Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping’s important speeches. With a daily circulation of 230,000 copies, since 2005, it has become one of China’s first provincial party newspapers to manage its own distribution.
The China Daily (中國日報) is an English-language newspaper operated by the Information Office of China’s State Council, which is essentially the same office as the Central Propaganda Department (中共中央宣傳部) of the Chinese Communist Party. Published in multiple languages, the newspaper and its associated outlets are a key aspect of China’s official communication strategy toward the world. It claims to have “the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in China” — a misleading claim as all such publications are closely regulated and controlled. The U.S. State Department designated China Daily as a “foreign mission” in 2020, while scholars describe it as “an instrument of China’s public diplomacy.” The newspaper produces sponsored content called “China Watch” for Western publications and has faced accusations of spreading disinformation about Hong Kong protests, COVID-19, and Uyghur issues. Former staff have described working there as prioritizing making “the Chinese government look good” over journalism.
Contemporary World magazine is published by the Contemporary World Publishing House (當代世界出版社), established in September 1993, a Beijing-based publishing house under the management and operation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (中共中央對外聯絡部). Under Contemporary World Publishing House Co., Ltd (當代世界出版社有限公司) since February 2011, its current legal representative is Li Shuangwu (李雙伍). The company is listed as 100 percent owned by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Contemporary World (當代世界), now the company’s flagship journal, first launched in 1981 as “Selected Translations of Communist Movement Materials” (共運資料選譯), and underwent name changes in 1989 and 1995. The publication claims to “analyze international relations and world party politics” while delivering information on global political, economic, military, social, and cultural developments. The journal’s main sections include situation commentary, special focus, interviews, expert forums, and global perspectives.
Xinhua News Agency, established on November 7, 1931, as the Red China News Agency in Ruijin, Jiangxi province, is China’s official state news agency operating as a ministry-level institution under the State Council. The agency adopted its current name in January 1937 while headquartered in Yan’an, Shaanxi. Its headquarters is located near Zhongnanhai in Beijing, with the current president and Party Secretary Fu Hua (傅華), who was appointed in June 2022. By 2021, Xinhua had 181 bureaus globally, though more recent sources indicate over 170 overseas bureaus as of 2024, and publishes in multiple languages. Xinhua serves as the country’s leading news agency within the CCP’s news control system. Xinhua official news releases, or tonggao (通稿), are regarded as the authoritative version of events such as political meetings and CCP policy statements — authoritative in the sense that leadership approves them. In press orders and bans from the Central Propaganda Department, media will be instructed to “use only Xinhua releases” on particular stories. Today, Xinhua functions as an important channel for China’s leadership to disseminate its preferred narrative globally.
China News Service (中國新聞社), established in October 1952, is China’s second-largest state news agency after Xinhua. The agency has been under the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party since 2018, focusing on overseas Chinese communities and residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The agency maintains offices throughout mainland China and internationally, operating what it calls the “Global Chinese Media Cooperative Union” to redistribute state media content. In 2020, the U.S. State Department designated CNS as a “foreign mission.” According to the Media and Journalism Research Center, as of September 2024, CNS is classified as “State Controlled Media.” The agency expanded into film and television production, launched “China News Video” in 2007, and publishes several periodicals, including “China Newsweek” (中國新聞周刊).
Shaanxi Satellite TV, commonly known as SXTV, is a provincial-level satellite television network based in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Established in 1997 when the former Shaanxi Television’s fourth channel went satellite, it serves as the flagship channel of Shaanxi Radio and Television Group. The network is recognizable by its distinctive orange logo featuring an “S” shape that resembles lightning, earning it the nickname “Lightning TV” among viewers. In 2012, SXTV underwent a major rebranding with a new focus on cultural programming, adopting the slogan “China Fusion, Fusion World” (中国融，融世界). The channel broadcasts in both standard and high-definition formats since 2014, with the transition to full digital broadcasting completed on March 31, 2021, when analog transmission officially ended. Programming includes a mix of news, entertainment, cultural shows, and locally produced content highlighting Shaanxi’s rich historical heritage. In December 2024, the network partnered with the Propaganda Office of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the CCP to establish an international communication center, hoping to expand its global reach.
China Today (今日中國) magazine was established in 1952 as China Reconstructs by Soong Ching-ling (宋慶齡), widow of Sun Yat-sen and later honorary president of the People’s Republic of China, in collaboration with naturalized Polish-Chinese journalist Israel Epstein. The magazine was renamed China Today in 1990 and is now operated under the China International Communications Group (CICG), which was established in October 1949. The publication describes itself as an official outlet intended to promote knowledge of China’s culture, geography, economy, and social affairs to international audiences. China Today currently publishes nine printed and 10 digital versions in multiple language,s including English, French, German, Arabic, Turkish, and Chinese, while also operating related magazines such as CHINAFRICA, Dialogue Chine-France, and Potala. According to the organization’s materials, the Center distributes over two million copies annually to more than 160 countries and regions through offices in Egypt and South Africa, and maintains partnerships with publishers in France, Turkey, and Senegal.)magazine was established in 1952 as China Reconstructs by Soong Ching-ling (宋慶齡), widow of Sun Yat-sen and later honorary president of the People’s Republic of China, in collaboration with naturalized Polish-Chinese journalist Israel Epstein. The magazine was renamed China Today in 1990 and is now operated under the Center for Europe and Africa, part of the China International Communications Group (CICG), which was established in October 1949 as the China International Publishing Group. The publication is described as an official outlet intended to promote knowledge of China’s culture, geography, economy and social affairs to international audiences. China Today currently publishes nine printed and 10 digital versions in multiple languages including English, French, German, Arabic, Turkish, and Chinese, while also operating related magazines such as CHINAFRICA, Dialogue Chine-France, and Potala. According to the organization’s materials, the Center distributes over two million copies annually to more than 160 countries and regions through offices in Egypt and South Africa, and maintains partnerships with publishers in France, Turkey, and Senegal.
Phoenix Media Investment Holdings Limited is a multinational media corporation headquartered in Hong Kong, with major operations in Beijing and Shenzhen. The company operates six satellite television channels targeting global Chinese audiences. The company was founded on March 31, 1996, by Liu Changle (劉長樂), initially through a joint venture between his Today’s Asia Limited company, Hong Kong Satellite Television, and Huaying International. Liu, who previously served as a journalist and senior manager at China Central Radio before moving overseas in 1988, established Phoenix TV with the mission of “reducing the distance within the global Chinese community”. The company went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2000. Following the 2021 sale of Liu’s controlling stake, the company’s largest shareholder is now Bauhinia Culture Holdings (紫荊文化集團) with 21 percent, a Beijing-backed cultural enterprise directly owned by China’s central government, while Shun Tak Holdings (信德集團) owns 16.93 percent.
The Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party serves as the local leadership organ for the Communist Party in Shanghai. The committee wields significant political influence, with its secretary traditionally being a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Political Bureau. The municipality has historically produced numerous high-ranking national leaders — including two General Secretaries, Jiang Zemin (江泽民) and Xi Jinping (习近平), and two premiers, Zhu Rongji (朱镕基) and Li Qiang (李强) — and other top national officials.
