China’s Communist Party censors on Friday closed several “new left” Web sites, and a fourth, pro-reform site run by the Carter Center went off-line, as the country’s rulers sought to stifle divergent voices and muffle signs of an ongoing ideological struggle ahead of a crucial leadership change this fall.
The Web sites Maoflag.net, Jinbushe.org (or “Progress Society”) and wyzxsx.com, the Internet home of Utopia, a neo-Maoist group, were among those closed to Internet users in China. All three have been outspoken in their support of the popular and charismatic former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai, who was fired March 15. They were also cheerleaders for Bo’s “Chongqing model” of development, which emphasized a strong state-centered economy and social welfare policies to address income inequality.
The crackdown was the latest step in an ongoing tightening in the three weeks since Bo’s dismissal, as China’s rulers struggle to contain the public fallout from the country’s most serious political crisis in decades. Web search terms have been blocked, sites shut down, and some of Bo’s past associates have been removed from their posts and placed under investigation.
On Friday, the Maoflag and Utopia Web sites initially carried an identical message saying they had been shut down for a month by the State Council Information Office and the Public Security Bureau for “posting articles and information that are anti-constitution, maliciously attacking national officials, and spreading rumors about 18th Party Congress.” That message was later taken down, replaced by a simple note saying they were having technical problems.
The 18th Congress, set for this fall, is due to select a new party secretary and president – now slated to be the current vice president, Xi Jinping – and seven of nine new members on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, which effectively runs the country.
Another leftist site, redchinacn.com, was also closed late Friday, and comments were disabled on the nationalist news site m4.cn, originally known as the “anti-CNN” Web site.
In a telephone interview, Rao Jin, the founder of m4.cn, said the bulletin board of the site was being changed. He acknowledged, “We do face very big pressure now,” but added, “It’s not convenient to tell you the details.” He said the revised site would have more lifestyle and entertainment features.
On the opposite side of the political spectrum, the Chinese-language Web site of China Elections and Governance, which is run by the Carter Center and advocates political reform, also was inaccessible Friday. A notice said the site was experiencing technical problems.
