The CAC announcement followed closely after the release of a Xinhua Institute report arguing that U.S. cognitive warfare was colonizing the minds of people around the world, as well as the CAC’s decision to penalize social media platform Xiaohongshu (known overseas as Rednote) on the grounds that it was “undermining the online ecosystem” (破坏网络生态) (Xinhua, September 7; CAC, September 11; China Brief Notes, September 12). The specific targets of the “clean and bright” campaign are not identical to those detailed in the “colonization of the mind” (思想殖民) report, but they are similar. [1] The “clean and bright” campaign (清朗行动), formally known as the “clean and bright” series of special operations (清朗系列专项行动), is a nationwide cyberspace governance initiative led by the CAC, with joint participation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
Author: Cindy Carter
Published at: 2025-11-01 21:09:54
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