Locustland | Communist Party is giving more power to members working in Beijing internet companies

The Communist Party (mainly through Baidu) is represented by 2,680 Party members in Beijing's many internet companies, and late last year it decided it wants to have control over a lot more - starting soon with major players Sohu and NetEase.

Reading Time:2 minutes

Sina Corp's Party committee's microblog account on Sina's own Weibo microblog platform.

Published: 11:19am, 11 Jan 2013Updated: 12:16pm, 11 Jan 2013

Thursday afternoon, Sina Weibo users began to buzz around a new face on the platform - a 'verified' microblog account claiming to represent all Party members at Sina Corp.

In its first - and, for the moment, only - post, the 'Sina.com Party Committee' account encourages Party members at the company to send feedback its way, describing this as the Communist Party's way to help resolve any problems its members encounter, presumably those encountered online.

It then lists around a dozen names of Communist Party members at Sina to help get the reports rolling in.

"Isn't this just great," reads the most recent of the 9 comments left on the post, "Party branches being set up in every single corner."

The Communist Party first began organising its members within Sina in 1998, but only established its first Party committee in late 2010 through its existing seven Party branches across different parts of the company.

A Party Secretary appointed to a private company, technically, retains ultimate authority.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x