The Chinese government is holding chief editors of news Web sites liable for content, months after several portals posted material that was seen as embarrassing to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
State media on Thursday reported that the new rules placed responsibility squarely on head editors, saying news sites must monitor their content 24 hours a day to ensure “correct orientation, factual accuracy and appropriate sourcing.”
The new rules were discussed at a meeting in Beijing this week convened by the government’s Cyberspace Administration of China and involving 60 media executives and industry academics, Xinhua news agency said.
The rules reflect the Xi administration’s efforts to ratchet up control over Chinese media and cyberspace, which has touched both traditional state outlets and private-sector companies.
Although efforts by Chinese Internet censors to purge rumors, unwanted political content and pornography are nothing new, a series of high-profile gaffes in recent months have intensified scrutiny of news portals, which are seen by the majority of the 700 million Chinese Internet users.
GAFFES
Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊), one of China’s most popular Web sites, fired its top editor after a headline last month mistakenly said Xi delivered a “furious” — instead of “important” — speech commemorating a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) anniversary.
The two words are similar in the Chinese writing system.
In March, an online portal called Wujie (無界) published — apparently inadvertently — a letter calling for Xi’s resignation and warning of dangers to his personal safety.
The post garnered widespread attention among Chinese political observers and led to the detention of several writers and editors.
MEDIA TOUR
The Chinese leader made a high-profile tour of state media outlets in February to demand closer adherence to the CCP line, while the cyberspace administration, the nation’s Internet censor, investigated the editorial operations of eight Web companies several months later.
Chinese Web companies are only permitted to republish content produced by closely regulated traditional media outlets under longstanding, though loosely enforced, media laws.
PRIVATE OUTLETS
Many private digital firms, including Tencent and Sina (新浪) — Internet companies publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ respectively — have formed teams of journalists who pursue original reporting and operate with a degree of relative freedom.
Participants at this week’s meeting with regulators were told to avoid publishing to “attract eyeballs” and operate their portals with “responsibility and restraint” to avoid spreading disorder and potentially endangering national security, Xinhua reported.
Regulators also directed company executives to study Xi’s remarks calling for closer online information management.
Contract chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) yesterday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Polar Semiconductor LLC to collaborate on the production of 8-inch wafers in the US. The collaboration aims to strengthen 8-inch wafer manufacturing in the US amid Washington’s efforts to increase onshore manufacturing of semiconductors, contribute to supply chain resilience against shifting geopolitical dynamics, and ensure a secure domestic supply of power semiconductors critical to automotive, electric grids, robotic manufacturing and data centers, the companies said in a joint statement. Under the MOU, Polar and UMC will identify devices for Polar to manufacture at
TECH TITANS: Amazon’s latest chip joins Google in competing for the 90 percent market share held by Nvidia, which claims it is ‘a generation ahead of the industry’ Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Tuesday launched its in-house-built Trainium3 artificial intelligence (AI) chip, marking a significant push to compete with Nvidia Corp in the lucrative market for AI computing power. The move intensifies competition in the AI chip market, where Nvidia dominates with an estimated 80 to 90 percent market share for products used in training large language models that power the likes of ChatGPT. Google last week caused tremors in the industry when it was reported that Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc would employ Google AI chips in data centers, signaling new competition for Nvidia. This followed the release last month of
Two companies wholly owned by the daughter of the founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) on Monday reported to the Taiwan Stock Exchange that they would dispose of all of the Hon Hai shares they hold. In filings with the exchange, Hong Wei Investment Co (鋐維) said it would sell the 2.771 million Hon Hai shares it holds and Frontier Investment Corp (承鋒投資) said it would sell its 2.409 million Hon Hai shares from tomorrow until Jan. 3 next year. The two companies are wholly owned and chaired by Shirley Gou (郭曉玲), the eldest daughter of Hon Hai founder Terry
TARIFF TALKS: The US secretary of commerce is eyeing more than US$300 billion in investments and said Taiwan would train US workers, but Taipei has denied the latter US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the US is expecting a large investment pledge from Taiwan in trade talks, while President William Lai (賴清德) listed areas that need improvement in order for projects to be completed. “We’re in the midst of discussions,” Lutnick said on Wednesday. “But the fact is, this administration’s goal is to bring semiconductor manufacturing to America.” Lai on Wednesday said Taiwan is supportive of US President Donald Trump’s goal of reindustrializing the US, including efforts to ramp up semiconductor production. Such a goal would require the US to reduce its reliance on Taiwan as a key source
RSS