Chinese censor pushes liberal magazine to brink of closure, says former chief editor

The former chief editor of the mainland’s most liberal political magazine has lashed out at the country’s top censor, accusing it of forcing the publication to the brink of closure.

Yang Jisheng, who was ordered to leave Yanhuang Chunqiu by his former work unit Xinhua at the start of this month, said in a letter to the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television dated June 30 – his last day at work – that the draconian censorship rules imposed by the administration on the publication “have forced it into a corner”.

Yang confirmed on Thursday that he had written the letter, but said he had not made it public. He declined to comment further.

Yanhuang Chunqiu, known for its first-hand accounts that contest official versions of Communist Party history, has for years been under pressure to soften its editorial stance. But it managed to maintain a relatively liberal line because of the support of dozens of retired party elders, mostly in their 80s and 90s, who joined the party in their youth for its then democratic aspirations.

It has faced closer scrutiny then ever amid a tightening of ideology in recent years, although liberal party elder Xi Zhongxun, the father of President Xi Jinping, endorsed the magazine.

Yang’s letter said administration’s demands that articles related to 15 topics must be submitted and approved before publication made it impossible for Yanhuang Chunqiu and similar journals to function.