bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Choi Chi-yuk

A website popular with Chinese intellectuals became inaccessible on the weekend, with its operator saying yesterday he had no idea whether it would go back online.
Consensus Net, or Gongshi Web, a digital platform founded in September 2009 to carry reports and analysis by both left- and right-wing scholars on topics including history, politics and economics, went offline on Saturday.
A notice on the site said it was suspended for an upgrade.

Zhou Zhixing, founder of Consensus Net and a well-connected publisher and political commentator, said the website had not been shut down by the authorities, but he was uncertain about its future.
“It’s hard to predict what will happen in the future but, up to this moment, there is no order to stop the operation of the website,” he said.
Zhou said he had no idea when the website would reopen.
‘Leftist takeover’ at Chinese liberal leading light Yanhuang Chunqiu
The suspension of Consensus Net comes several months after a massive reshuffle of management at Beijing-based outspoken political magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu, which sparked concern about the stifling of liberal voices in mainland publications.

In addition to the website, Consensus Media Group, of which Zhou is the CEO, publishes two magazines – Leaders and Financial Digest. Leaders stopped publication a couple of months ago.
Writing on the wall for outspoken Chinese magazine two years ahead of closure
With its slogan of “Seeking consensus in the era of great change” and its stated core values of truthful reporting and insightful analysis, Consensus Media Group characterised itself as a media organisation that examined topics ranging from politics, the military, ideology and culture to economics. It aimed to “facilitate communications, achieve consensus and promote further harmonious development of modern Chinese society”.
A Beijing-based academic who declined to be identified said intellectuals on the mainland were losing their space to make their opinions public as the authorities tightened their grip.


Popular website for Chinese intellectuals pulled offline

China has long operated the world’s most sophisticated online censorship mechanism, widely known outside the country as the Great Firewall.

‘Leftist takeover’ at Chinese liberal leading light Yanhuang Chunqiu

The new publishers of Yanhuang Chunqiu convened a meeting with conservative and leftists writers on Monday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

News

China

Politics

Site brought left and right together but founder says he is uncertain about its future


Popular website for Chinese intellectuals pulled offline

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Site brought left and right together but founder says he is uncertain about its future

Site brought left and right together but founder says he is uncertain about its future