China censors criticism of using 'patriotic sentiments': Report

In yet another case of draconian censorship, Chinese authorities have closed the Wechat account of the Chinese Communist Youth League after it issued an article titled "Patriotic Business", that criticised the new phenomenon of using "patriotic sentiments" to gain internet traffic.

China is known for cultivating nationalism to garner support for its governance. It has now adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards online discussion threads.

The article by Communist Youth League pointed out that in order to gain attention, video anchors fabricated "patriotic stories", turning patriotism into a cheap business, and it is shameful to play with people's patriotic feelings, according to reliable information.

This kind of high-sounding slogan of "patriotism", that actually harvests people's emotions to earn traffic is undoubtedly a blasphemy of patriotic sentiments.

China continues to take internet censorship, surveillance and propaganda to unprecedented levels making it one of the world's worst countries for journalists and the 'biggest jailer' of scribes, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released in March this year.

In its annual press freedom index, the global watchdog also highlighted an increase in repression and attacks on journalists worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RSF said its data showed that journalism is "totally blocked or seriously impeded" in nearly three-quarters of the countries evaluated, making it even harder for people to access proper information at a time of a health emergency.

( With inputs from ANI )