Central Leading Group for Propaganda, Ideology and Culture

The Central Leading Group for Publicity, Ideological and Cultural Work (Chinese: 中央宣传思想领导小组; pinyin: Zhōngyāng Xuānchuán Sīxiǎng Lǐngdǎo Xiǎozǔ) is a leading small group of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) responsible for nationwide propaganda.

Central Leading Group for Publicity, Ideological and Cultural Work

中央宣传思想领导小组
Formation	March 10, 1993; 32 years ago (1993-03-10)
Type	Coordination organ
Location	Beijing
Leader	Cai Qi
Deputy leaders	Li Shulei, Shen Yiqin
Parent organization	Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

Its current group leader is Cai Qi; with Li Shulei and Shen Yiqin as deputies.

Functions and duties

The CLGPIW controls all propaganda, publicity and information of the Chinese Communist Party as well as the People's Republic of China. The agencies under its scrutiny include the CCP Propaganda Department and the State Council Information Office. Its basic function is to coordinate ideological, propaganda, cultural, media and publishing activities. In both composition and duties, the CLGPIW overlap another similar body, the CCP Central Guidance Commission for Building Spiritual Civilization.

The group leader is usually the Politburo Standing Committee member in charge of propaganda, while the deputy leader is the head of the Propaganda Department. The rest of the group members (usually five to eight), except for the head and deputy head of the Secretarial Group, seem to be unknown to the public.

History

The Central Leading Group for Publicity and Ideological Work was established in the summer of 1957 as the Central Theory Group (中央理论小组; Zhōngyāng Lǐlùn Xiǎozǔ) led by Kang Sheng, but it was replaced on June 10, 1958, by a Central Culture and Education Group (中央文教小组; Zhōngyāng Wénjiào Xiǎozǔ) led by Lu Dingyi, with Kang Sheng as deputy leader and Chen Boda among its members, until a separate leading group for education was established in 1982. The current CLGPIW was established in 1988 by the CCP Central Committee Directive No. 11.

Its first leader was Hu Qili, although he was dismissed in 1989 for opposing the use of violence against the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Although usually the group leader is a Politburo Standing Committee member, Ding Guangen, who led the CLGPIW from 1992 to 2002, was concurrently Standing Committee member, Secretariat member and Propaganda Department head.

In June 2023, it was reported that the agency was renamed to the Central Leading Group for Publicity, Ideological and Cultural Work.

List of group leaders

1. Hu Qiaomu (1982–1987)
2. Hu Qili (1987–1989)
3. Li Ruihuan (1989–1992)
4. Ding Guangen (1992–2002)
5. Li Changchun (2002–2013)
6. Liu Yunshan (2013–2017)
7. Wang Huning (2017–2023)
8. Cai Qi (2023–present)

References

1. Shambaugh, David (January 2007). "China's Propaganda System: Institutions, Processes and Efficacy" (PDF). The China Journal. 57: 25–58. doi:10.1086/tcj.57.20066240. S2CID 222814073. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
2. Miller, Alice. "The CCP Central Committee's Leading Small Groups". China Leadership Monitor. 26: 15.
3. Selected Documents on Party Propaganda Work (1988–1992), Central Party School Press, Beijing, 1993.
4. "习近平在文化传承发展座谈会上强调 担负起新的文化使命 努力建设中华民族现代文明" [At the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, Xi Jinping Emphasized Taking on a New Cultural Mission and Efforts to Build a Modern Civilization for the Chinese Nation]. Xinhua News Agency. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.