China top censor’s new leadership role raises fears

Chinese propaganda boss Liu Yunshan has risen to the country’s top leadership in what could be a perilous sign for online debate, critics of his censorship diktats over the last decade said on Friday.

China’s population of internet users – the world’s largest at 538 million – have become increasingly vocal on its booming social media sites despite the efforts of the ruling party’s highly secretive Propaganda Department.

In China, Twitter itself is blocked but “weibos”, or microblogging sites, function in a similar way, and authorities tightened their suppression efforts for the ruling party’s pivotal congress in Beijing this week.