By Jennifer Chang, China Research Analyst, Exovera
Access to some sources linked in this article is available via Exovera’s exoINSIGHT platform. If you don’t have a subscription, we would be happy to provide you with a free trial account. Be sure to use exoINSIGHT’s translation option if you’d like to read the Chinese sources in English.
The Chinese government’s new rules on the dissemination of military information on the internet are a bid to hide its military developments from adversaries like the United States. On February 8, 2025, China published new guidelines regulating the dissemination of military information online, taking effect on March 1. The “Measures for Managing the Dissemination of Military Information on the Internet” (互联网军事信息传播管理办法) aim to ensure that online military content serves national defense and military objectives, supports the strengthening of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and safeguards the military’s image. The new regulations also specify the types of information that should be promoted online, and those that are barred from being produced, copied, or disseminated.
- The guidelines aim to promote “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” “Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military,” the PLA’s contributions to world peace and development, and the heroism of Chinese military personnel.
- The guidelines prohibit the dissemination of information that endangers the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, defames the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) absolute leadership over the military, undermines military-civilian unity, or distorts the interpretation of military operations other than war.
- Military information providers and users are prohibited from publishing and disseminating information containing military secrets, defense technology industrial secrets, or undisclosed information.
The Cyberspace Administration of China and Central Military Commission said in a press conference on February 8 that the regulations are important measures to promote the rule of law in cyberspace, spread positive energy, and tackle problems such as false military information and disclosure of military secrets on the internet.
Media Highlight: “Notice on Issuing the ‘Measures for Managing the Dissemination of Military Information on the Internet’”
The “Measures for Managing the Dissemination of Military Information on the Internet” apply to the dissemination of military information online and the establishment of military websites, military columns, and military accounts on the internet. The guidelines aim to standardize dissemination of military information on the internet and safeguard China’s national security and societal interests. The management of online military information aims to serve China’s national defense and military construction, support the strengthening of the military, and safeguard the PLA’s image. According to the new rules, online military information should adhere to the “correct” political direction and value orientation.
The 30 article regulation was jointly issued on January 22, 2025 (and published online on February 8, 2025) by 10 PRC departments: Cyberspace Administration of China (国家互联网信息办公室), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部), Ministry of Public Security (公安部), Ministry of State Security (国家安全部), Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部), National Radio and Television Administration (国家广播电视总局), State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (国家国防科技工业局), National Administration of State Secrets Protection (国家保密局), Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission (中央军委政治工作部), and Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Central Military Commission (中央军委政法委员会).
The guidelines want to publicize and promote the following information online:
- “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想)
- “Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military” (习近平强军思想)
- Decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (中国共产党中央委员会) and Central Military Commission (CMC, 中央军事委员会)
- “Glorious history and fine traditions and conduct” of the military
- Achievements in the modernization of national defense and the military
- PLA’s contributions to world peace and development
- Heroism of Chinese military personnel, reservists, and militia
The types of information that are prohibited from being produced, reproduced, published, or disseminated on the internet include content that does the following:
- Endangers the PRC’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity
- Defames the CCP’s absolute leadership over the military and the CMC Chairman Responsibility System (军委主席负责制)
- Promotes the “departyization” (非党化), “depolitization” (非政治化), and “nationalization” (国家化) of the military
- Distorts the heroic deeds of the Chinese military
- Undermines military-civilian unity
- Disparages the image of the military and its personnel by altering military-themed songs, movies, and TV dramas, or producing other literary works
- Distorts the interpretation of military operations other than war such as international peacekeeping, maritime escorts, overseas evacuations, counter-terrorism operations, and disaster relief
- Obstructs and disrupts military operations and endangers national military interests through hype, agitation, incitement, and information leakage
Military information providers and users engaged in military information dissemination online are prohibited from producing, reproducing, publishing, or disseminating information containing military secrets, defense technology industrial secrets, or undisclosed information, such as the following:
- Military deployments, troop mobilizations, combat, training, and military education
- Military communications and electronic countermeasures
- Tactical and technical performance of weapons and equipment
- Internal structures and daily operations of military facilities and military industrial facilities
- Foreign military exchanges and cooperation
- Civilian products related to the performance of weapons and equipment
- Military and civilian experts engaging in the development of cutting-edge technologies and models
In addition, military information providers and users are prohibited from publishing information about the professional experience, fields of expertise, biometrics, physical health and fitness, social activities, and tracking information of military personnel, reserve personnel, and prospective active-duty personnel without authorization.
The guidelines bar retired military personnel and civilian personnel who have left the military from accepting interviews, publishing articles, serving as keynote speakers, and participating in online live broadcasts and other related online activities as military personnel.
Website platforms must verify “military accounts” (军事账号) for users in accordance with national regulations. The following institutions, organizations, and individuals can be identified as military accounts:
- Military units, relevant departments of military service, national defense education institutions, and military and local news media
- Enterprises and institutions with a comparable number of military editors and content reviewers
- Experts and scholars in the field of national defense and military construction, key professionals and core experts, and personnel with a long service or work experience in the military
- Personnel trained in military news publishing, or broadcasting, television, or military information dissemination management organized by the CMC and central and local government departments
Media Highlight: “Four Major Features and Three Highlights of the ‘Measures for Managing the Dissemination of Military Information on the Internet’”
According to a February 9 article by China Bugle (中国军号), the official account of the PLA News Media Center, the “Measures for Managing the Dissemination of Military Information on the Internet” seek to address the problem of leaks of military information. The Measures refine the confidentiality list of the dissemination of military information online, referring to the confidentiality regulations and restrictions that need to be followed when disseminating military information. The new guidelines also strengthen the protection of information on military personnel and regulate the dissemination of information that could leak military secrets through data aggregation and correlation. The China Bugle article stated that the implementation of the new rules will provide a strong legal guarantee for promoting the rule of law in cyberspace and the healthy development of online military media.
Exovera Commentary:
The Chinese government’s new rules on the publication and dissemination of military information on the internet have several implications for China analysts and PLA watchers in the United States and around the world. Open-source information on the development, progress, and shortcomings of the Chinese military will likely become more difficult to access by outside observers. In a nod to traditional Chinese stratagem, the Chinese government seems intent on hiding both its military advancements and shortcomings from adversaries such as the United States.
This secrecy and opaqueness surrounding Chinese military trends and activities is likely to put open-source China analysts in the U.S. at an information disadvantage. It will become more difficult to assess from PRC open sources whether the Chinese are making progress, or conversely experiencing setbacks, on military issues ranging from weapons capabilities to the training of PLA personnel. In fact, Exovera’s January 2025 report on “Analysis of the PRC’s Ministry of National Defense Websites” provided indications that Beijing may have already been limiting the dissemination of online military information to audiences outside of China. Exovera’s report found the English version of the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 国防部) website provided outdated content, some of which later disappeared entirely from the website, whereas the Chinese version of the MND website contained regularly updated information. In light of these recent guidelines, Chinese-language content on the MND website may become more circumscribed after March 1.
At the same time as China is restricting the dissemination of online military information to the outside world, PRC strategists continue to benefit from the open flow of information and analysis on U.S. and allied military capabilities offered by democratic political systems. China may find it beneficial to hide newly developed capabilities, as well as shield its weaknesses, from more powerful adversaries like the U.S. A caveat is that Beijing may continue to broadcast its military capabilities, either realistic or exaggerated, vis-a-vis smaller adversaries such as Taiwan to intimidate and conduct psychological warfare against the island. On the other hand, China’s new regulations may also put a tighter lid on Chinese online military propaganda targeting Taiwan.
