Xi demands total loyalty:

Asia

Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare, highprofile tour of the country’s top three staterun media outlets Friday, telling editors and reporters they must pledge absolute loyalty to the party and closely follow its leadership in “thought, politics and action.”

The remarks by Xi, also head of the ruling Communist Party, are the latest sign of the party’s increasingly tighter control over all media and Xi’s unceasing efforts to consolidate his powers.

Xi overshadowed the party’s propaganda chief, Liu Yunshan, who accompanied him on his visits to the newsrooms of the party newspaper People’s Daily, the official Xinhua News Agency and state broadcaster China Central Television.

At CCTV, Xi was welcomed by a placard pledging loyalty to the party. “The central television’s family name is the party,” the sign read, anticipating remarks made by Xi at a later meeting.

“The media run by the party and the government are the propaganda fronts and must have the party as their family name,” Xi told the propaganda workers at the meeting during which he demanded absolute loyalty from state media.

“All the work by the party’s media must reflect the party’s will, safeguard the party’s authority, and safeguard the party’s unity,” Xi said. “They must love the party, protect the party, and closely align themselves with the party leadership in thought, politics and action.” (AP)