China Launches Campaign To Punish 'Rumor-Mongering Behavior' As Xi Jinping Prepares To Secure Unprecedented Third Term

China launched a campaign to curb online ‘rumors’ ahead of the 20th Party Congress, which is due to start on October 16.

What Happened: The Chinese cyberspace watchdog on Friday vowed to crack down on “online rumors and fake information about major meetings, important events, and policies” in a three-month campaign.

Without specifying punishments, the Cyberspace Administration of China said the offenders should be handled “strictly, quickly and severely.”

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The campaign comes ahead of the politically sensitive event – the 20th Party Congress – where President Xi Jinping is poised to secure a historic third term. The government has called to strengthen its already heavily censored internet controls to avoid “false information” from spreading online.

CAC said that the campaign targeting online rumors would be “guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on a strong cyberspace,” adding that it would “increase the punishment of rumor-mongering behavior, investigate and expose typical cases to form a strong deterrent, maximize the squeezing of space for online rumors and false information space.”

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Photo: Courtesy of Global Panorama on flickr