China Confidential

China Confidential is a daily weblog, or blog, of news, analysis and opinion concerning China's rise that began publishing on April 10, 2005.
As of June 2006, the blog claimed it was reaching a total, combined monthly audience of more than 18,000 readers (unique visitors) spread across some 25 countries. Its influence and growth could be said to be indicative of the Internet blogging phenomenon (discussed below).
Though published pseudonymously to protect sources and preserve freedom of travel to and from the mainland, China Confidential has been referenced and linked to by the BBC and The Wall Street Journal as well as many websites and blogs, including China Digital Times and China Law Blog. The Associated Press and Interfax are among the news services that have used China Confidential as a so-called tip sheet. Its coverage of China's global quest for raw materials and markets—especially in resource-rich Africa--has been referenced and linked to by Africa-focused, Internet-based news sites and portals, including AfriqueCentrale and MwindaPress.
The editor, who also writes under the pen name Confidential Reporter, participated in a live, half-hour panel discussion on BBC World Service Radio on the occasion of the summit meeting in Washington, DC between Chinese President Hu Jintao and United States President George W. Bush.
China Confidential says that it relies on a network of unpaid correspondents and stringers. China's military buildup and the plight of its rural poor and growing urban underclass are among the areas of specialization.
Like many China-focused blogs, China Confidential is blocked on the Chinese mainland but accessible to computer users in Hong Kong.
Blogging and broadband technologies are widely assumed to be transforming the global Internet and the news business, as journalists, political analysts and other thought and opinion leaders turn to the medium for up-to-the-minute information and insights about important events, developments and trends. While most blogs resemble personal publishing platforms, similar to diaries, some, like China Confidential, may be compared to nascent, electronic newsletters and magazines.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu