China has unveiled sweeping new regulations to tighten the release of information about its military online, a move that could obscure key sources for monitoring the world’s largest armed forces.
The rules, announced over the weekend and taking effect on March 1, come as China is rapidly building up and modernizing its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to match the military might of the United States.It also marks the latest step in leader Xi Jinping’s far-reaching campaign to bolster national security and guard state secrets in the face of heightened geopolitical tensions – efforts that have made it all the more difficult for foreign observers to understand what is happening in China.
The all-encompassing rules could have a big impact on Chinese military bloggers and commentators, who are often quick to share images or information about new weapons systems, personnel appointments and troop movements.
Such publicly available information posted by Chinese military enthusiasts has also been an important source for PLA watchers to track the development and movement of the Chinese military.
The regulations are aimed at addressing issues including “the spread of false military information” and “the leakage of military secrets” on the internet, according to a Q&A released by the government.
They lay out strict rules for online content about military affairs, banning the “producing, copying, publishing and disseminating” of military secrets, national defense technology and industry secrets or other undisclosed information.
The banned list covers everything from the development and testing of weapons systems to military drills and deployment, as well as the organizational structures, tasks and combat capabilities of military units that have not been officially disclosed.
Joseph Wen, a Taipei-based independent analyst who documents publicly available intelligence about the PLA, said the ruling Chinese Communist Party has always been defined by a high degree of opacity.
“However, as a regime that values both secrecy and propaganda, Chinese authorities have long taken a ‘wink and nod’ approach toward the dissemination of information related to the PLA within domestic online communities,” he said.
