Weibo, China's leading microblogging platform, is urging its users to refrain from badmouthing the economy, account holders have said.
The apparently automated notices, first reported by Bloomberg on December 15, arrived in the inboxes of netizens who commented about the state of the Chinese economy, which has been in flux since the country embarked on its post-pandemic recovery one year ago.
It was unclear whether the soft censorship had resulted in any shadow bans or outright suspensions of Weibo accounts, but it highlighted growing apprehension about whether China was likely ever to witness again the type of explosive growth it had enjoyed for decades, and which eventually propelled it to the world's No. 2 economy in 2010.
Weibo is often likened to its Western counterparts like Facebook or X for its influential role in shaping China's social media landscape, but it has always existed in a strictly regulated online environment overseen by the country's cyber watchdog and large censorship apparatus.
On the website and elsewhere this month, expressive users shared screenshots of their inboxes and the Weibo notice that explicitly advised them "not to badmouth the economy," hinting at potential risks for their account.
Bloomberg said a recipient of the memo verified the existence of the new direct at the social media company, which did not immediately respond to Newsweek's written request for comment before publication.
In a separate case, one prominent blogger, who is active in the Chinese stock markets, shared a notice that warned commentators to "avoid crossing the red line," with a specific focus on economic or financial topics.
The move by the national-level censors behind Weibo and other bustling social media apps was a sign of the Chinese government's sensitivity to public discourse about the nation's economic health, which has been dragged down by a property market crisis.
Major indicators like domestic consumption and investor confidence continued to concern the World Bank, which described China's economy as "fragile" in a report last week.
"The outlook is subject to considerable downside risks," the World Bank said. "The prolonged real estate slump has led to a sharp and persistent decline in real estate investment, which fell by a cumulative 18 percent in the past two years."
China's GDP growth will slow further to 4.5 and 4.3 percent in 2024 and 2025, according to the World Bank.
China's own government institutions have been sending distress signals, too. The National Bureau of Statistics said last Friday that investments in property sank to 9.4 percent, indicating that the housing sector continued to be a major drag on the Chinese economy.
China's two major property developers, Evergrande and Country Garden, both defaulted on their debt earlier this year.
Long-time China watchers have speculated that Beijing's warmer tone toward Washington—its foremost geostrategic rival—also could be related to its financial troubles at home, and the Chinese leadership's desire for more stable and predictable trade relations.
In tandem with Weibo's warnings was a cautionary message issued by China's State Security Ministry, which warned users against spreading "false narratives" about the economy.
"Their essence is to use various false narratives to construct a 'discourse trap' and 'cognitive trap' of 'China's decline' in order to continue to cast doubt on the system and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics," the ministry said in a December 15 social media post on WeChat, China's do-everything app.
China's state media also have published official lines that sought to push back against negative remarks concerning the state of the economy. An official Xinhua News Agency article carried a headline that said, "China's economic resilience effectively refutes pessimistic views."
A related Weibo hashtag that said, "those who badmouth the Chinese economy are destined to be disappointed," amassed over 140 million views between December 14 and 18.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
