Power of Opinion and Opinion Leaders - how China's Government and People are struggling to Influence Social Media

Despite the growing influence of the communist leadership, Social Media in China are still competitive opinion arenas. The platforms often depict an astonishingly broad spectrum of ultra-nationalist to liberal voices, each with a critical tone towards certain government policies - as the article shows in two case studies (International Forum on the Silk Road Initiative in Beijing and Crisis over Missile Tests by North Korea, both in 2017). The censorship focuses on background information and analyses, otherwise it is difficult to define clear topics or terms - with the exception of fundamental criticism of Xi Jinping or the political system of the People's Republic of China. The fact that Beijing continues to permit limited pluralism points to different interests within the Chinese leadership.