China recently unveiled its first domestic new media studies research center, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in order to form a new force supported by scholars and officials to safeguard ideology on the Internet, media sources reported Thursday.
According to a report on news site youth.cn, the center was established on Saturday after a year of planning. Over 60 experts and officials have participated in the establishment of the center, including those from government bodies like the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Education.
Citing several experts from the center, the report added that the Internet has become the main battlefield for ideological combat and there is no other authoritative research institution that brings together people from different fields.
"The research center on new media will mainly serve as a long-lasting and stable channel for communication between authorities, new media experts and online opinion leaders. It will gradually become an influential think tank for ideology studies, especially for those related to the Internet … It will effectively safeguard the security of China's Internet ideology," Zhu Jidong, director of the newly established center, was quoted as saying by youth.cn.
Experts from the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army and prestigious universities such as Peking and Tsinghua universities also played a role in establishing the research center, along with famous journalists and Internet celebrities.
