Liberal Chinese magazine taken over by officials in dissent crackdown
Outspoken liberal Chinese magazine, Yanhuang Chunqiu (also called China Through the Ages) has allegedly had its newsroom taken over by government officials in the country, with the title's lawyer saying a "forced reshuffle" of its leadership team was an effort to stifle voices that disagreed with the ruling Communist Party.
The government is said to have forced a reshuffle of Yanhuang Chunqiu's senior leadership and seized control of its website
The media outlet was subject to leadership changes last week at the hands of government body the Chinese National Academy of Arts, which decided to demote and replace its senior staff, including publisher Du Daozheng.
The magazine’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said the party had clearly decided it had had enough of the magazine. “It is the only magazine that speaks the truth,” Mo said. “They don’t want the magazine to exist any more.”
In a statement published on Sunday (17 July), publisher Daozheng said the magazine’s editorial staff made the decision to halt publication after the changes were initiated by the cultural ministry academy overseeing the journal.
He claimed that the Academy of Arts had violated press freedom and sent people to force their way into the newsroom and seize control of the website.
“Anybody who publishes any periodicals with the title of Yanhuang Chunqiu will be nothing to do with [the current editorial committee],” Daozheng said.
China's president, Xi Jinping has overseen a crackdown on perceived dissent since his appointment to office three years ago.
Yanhuang Chunqiu is known for challenging party views around sensitive issues like political reform and the Cultural Revolution. Founded in 1991, it has a monthly circulation of about 200,000 and has previously voiced support for constitutional democracy according to the South China Post.
The Communist Party has tried to shut the magazine 19 times in the past 25 years, one of its editors told Reuters, seeking anonymity in light of the sensitive situation.