Top Chinese state media editor calls out 'excessive' propaganda ahead of 70th anniversary

One of Beijing’s best known propagandists in the foreign media has challenged the Chinese government’s internet crackdown ahead of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1.

Two weeks ahead of the major event, the Communist-ruled government has already tightened its iron grip on the internet, curbing access to VPN servers that allow users to bypass the Great Firewall, the country’s sweeping censorship of outside websites.

Hu Xijin, editor of the English-language Global Times, said in a post on Chinese social media site Weibo, where he has over 15 million followers, that the crackdown was making it difficult even for his state-run publication to function normally.

"I think it's a bit over the top ... The majority of people are patriotic and love the party," he said in the post. "The country isn't fragile, I suggest we should leave a narrow opening to foreign websites,” reported CNN.

However, he quickly deleted his comments, saying in a second post that “I don’t want to create a hotly discussed point.”

The Chinese government has been preparing for months to hold a military parade, performances and fireworks for the anniversary celebrations, and is determined to ensure that the celebrations are not overshadowed by ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

The influential, jingoistic Global Times has long maintained a fine line between pushing state propaganda and challenging the Communist party on topics that are shunned by rival publications. “The paper tries to push controversial topics in a way that might coincide with leaders’ thinking,” noted the Economist in 2018.

It is still unexpected for a strong defender of Chinese policy, who frequently denounces “western values”, to directly criticise Beijing’s approach to such a politically significant event.

Speaking to CNN in August, Mr Hu stated his mission as helping China’s one-party regime to communicate with the people.

"We need to help the government and the people communicate with each other, instead of pitting them against each other," he said. "Media outlets that pit the government against the people don't have a future in China."