(Midland, Texas–May 21, 2015) The United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded a three-day conference, aimed at setting policies on a number of fronts, including religion and social media, yesterday in Beijing.
“President Xi’s remarks at the United Front Work Department conference on safeguarding against so-called ‘foreign influence’ and regulating religion to garner support for the Communist Party are draconian policies that have been utilized for decades in China,” China Aid Vice President Kody Kness said in a response to Xi’s statements following the recent United Front conference.
At the end of the United Front conference, the first one held in almost a decade, Xi also emphasized the need to persuade non-Communist social media moguls to embrace censorship in the name of nationalism and the need to persuade young Chinese students to study abroad, but to return to serve China upon the completion of their studies.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of Xi’s remarks was his emphasis on engaging youth and social media leaders to unify the Communist party and oppose dissent, including censoring the Internet, which Xi described as “purifying cyberspace,” according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
“President Xi’s plea to the youth and social media representatives signals the Communist party’s weakness, namely a generation unwilling to trade freedom and basic civil and political rights for party allegiance and prosperity,” Kness said.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
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Website: www.chinaaid.org