Chinese culture being ‘Westernised’- President Hu
CHINA: Chinese President Hu Jintao has warned that “hostile” powers
are seeking to “Westernise” the country and called for greater efforts
to enhance China's cultural influence overseas. Hu's remarks published
in the latest edition of Communist Party magazine Seeking the Truth come
after Beijing ordered the culture industry -- taken to include the media
-- to lift its game as China pushes its “soft power” abroad.
“Hostile international powers are strengthening their efforts to
Westernise and divide us,” Hu wrote in the article, noting “ideological
and cultural fields” are their main targets.
“We must be aware of the seriousness and complexity of the struggles
and take powerful measures to prevent and deal with them.” Hu also
called for greater efforts to develop Chinese culture to meet the
“growing spiritual and cultural demands of the people” in China. “The
overall strength of Chinese culture and its international influence is
not commensurate with China's international status,” Hu said.
“The international culture of the West is strong while we are weak.”
Hu's comments are the latest in a series of directives from Communist
Party leaders seeking to tighten their control over the Internet and
media industry.
For the past decade Beijing has been encouraging state-run media to
be more competitive and less reliant on state subsidies, which has led
to more critical reporting and racier programming as outlets compete for
readers and viewers.
But the trend towards more free-wheeling reporting, the growth of
reality television programmes and the explosion of microblogging sites
has undermined official efforts to control public opinion.
It has also unnerved authorities who have seen previously obedient
media outlets criticise their decisions and defy orders to toe the
Communist Party line.
In October, Communist leaders ordered stricter control of social
networking sites and better supervision of the media to “improve
positive publicity” and guide public opinion on “hot and hard social
issues”.
The following month the country's media watchdog said that
advertisements would be prohibited during television dramas from this
year, as it looks to exert more control over television and woo back
viewers lost to the Internet.
Beijing has also earmarked 45 billion yuan ($7.2 billion) to fund the
expansion of state-owned media groups including CCTV, Xinhua and China
Radio International, according to previous reports.
Beijing, Monday, AFP |