The Military Media and its Relevance for China

The role of the media in China has been one where it is expected to be the ‘mouthpiece’ of the party. Media outlets have been used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as propaganda wings and are expected to inform the people about the CCP’s policies and actions. In addition, the introduction of the Internet has transformed the media landscape. There has been a steady increase in the number of Internet users and blogs in China. In 2011, the number of Internet users was around 513 million.1 Broadly, the Chinese media can be divided into three categories: the party media, the military media, and the business media. This commentary attempts to analyse the role of the military media in China.