Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

The Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission is a policy formulation and implementation body set up under the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party for the purpose of managing internet-related issues. This is believed to include the expansion of online services, internet security concerns, as well as broad jurisdiction over policies on internet censorship. This decision-making body comprises the leaders of all major party and state departments, along with the People's Bank of China and the military.^[1]

Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

中央网络安全和信息化委员会
Abbreviation	Zhongyang Wangxin Wei (中央网信委)
Formation	February 2014
Type	Supra-ministerial policy coordination and consultation body
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	Beijing
Leader	Cai Qi
Chief of General Office	Zhuang Rongwen
Parent organization	Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Subsidiaries	Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (with the external brand name Cyberspace Administration of China)
Website	www.cac.gov.cn

Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission
Simplified Chinese	中央网络安全和信息化委员会
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōngyāng Wǎngluò Ānquán Hé Xìnxī Huà Wěiyuánhuì

The Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission runs the Public Opinion Information Center, which coordinates with state media outlets on censorship.^[2] The commission's executive arm is the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, which has the external name of the Cyberspace Administration of China under the "one institution with two names" system.^[3][4][1]

History

The commission was originally established as the Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization (Chinese: 中央网络安全和信息化领导小组; pinyin: Zhōngyāng Wǎngluò Ānquán Hé Xìnxī Huà Lǐngdǎo Xiǎozǔ), also called the Cyberspace Affairs Leading Group. The decision to establish the group was announced at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee in November 2013, but did not hold its first full meeting until February 2014.^[5] The Leading Group was not a wholly new created entity, since it was primarily a reconstitution of the Leading Group for National Informatization, with a similar membership composition.^[6]

In March 2018, the leading group was transformed into a commission, called the Central Cybersecurity and Informatization Commission, also called the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (CCAC).^[7] According to the South China Morning Post, Cai Qi succeeded Xi as the head of the commission in early 2023.^[8]

Membership

19th Committee

• Leader
  • Xi Jinping (Politburo Standing Committee Member, Party General Secretary, State President)
• Deputy Leaders
  • Li Keqiang (Politburo Standing Committee, Premier of the State Council)
• Director of the General Office
  • Zhuang Rongwen, concurrently Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, deputy head of the Publicity Department, deputy director of the State Council Information Office (SCIO)

20th Committee

• Director
  • Cai Qi (Politburo Standing Committee Member, First Secretary of the Secretariat)
• Director of the General Office
  • Zhuang Rongwen, concurrently Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, deputy head of the Publicity Department, deputy director of the State Council Information Office (SCIO)

References

1. Horsley, Jamie P. (August 8, 2022). "Behind the Facade of China's Cyber Super-Regulator". Standford University. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
2. Fedasiuk, Ryan (January 12, 2021). "Buying Silence: The Price of Internet Censorship in China". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
3. Cyberspace Administration of China launches official website Archived 2020-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, English.gov.cn, 31 Dec 2014
4. Web of Laws: How China's new Cyberspace Administration is securing its grip on the internet Archived 2019-06-20 at Archive-It, HKFP, by David Bandurski, 7 May 2017
5. "中央网络安全和信息化领导小组成立". Xinhua. February 28, 2014. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
6. Godement, Francois (July 2015). "Special issue: Governing the Web" (PDF). European Council on Foreign Relations. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
7. "CPC releases plan on deepening reform of Party and state institutions". People's Daily. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
8. Zheng, William (28 March 2024). "Xi Jinping's chief of staff is China's new internet tsar, sources say". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 March 2024.