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What is happening?
On November 28, the Politburo study session titled “Strengthening the governance of the Internet ecosystem” was held in Beijing. The session focused on Internet governance and control, embracing using tools such as artificial intelligence (AI). Despite earlier hesitations Chinese leaders have now embraced AI in full, motivating Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials to use the technology in all processes, from agriculture to the judiciary.
The timing coincides with the release of a new report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI): The party’s AI: How China’s new AI systems are reshaping human rights.
What is the broader picture?
According to the official readout, Xi Jinping has warned that “online chaos pollutes the social atmosphere and infringes upon the interests of the masses,” stressing the need to “resolutely crack down on it… (and) investigate weak links in internet ecosystem governance, and address shortcomings.”
The statement suggests that while China faces similar challenges as governments all over the world, it is ready to address them in its own way.
Xi emphasized the need to deepen online dissemination of the Party’s ideology, promote socialist core values, and create online content that is meaningful, engaging, and aligned with Party goals.
Noting that AI and big data present both new risks but also new opportunities, Xi called for strengthened cybersecurity and data-security mechanisms.
Unlike in the US or the EU, in China the concept of “AI safety” (人工智能安全) refers not to the protection of users, but to safeguarding regime security, political stability, and alignment with its core socialist values.
Xi also referenced “cutting off internet chains” and “industry chains,” signaling tighter control over major digital platforms, entertainment algorithms, influencers, and the Multi-Channel Networks that manage them.
On the international stage, Xi reaffirmed China’s ambition to build a “community with a shared future in cyberspace,” expand global communication networks, and use the internet to “tell China’s story well” （講好中國故事） — a key phrase linked to China’s external propaganda strategy.
Meanwhile, the new ASPI report underlines how emerging AI systems increasingly automate censorship and narrative-shaping, reducing the need for human censors and further consolidating the CCP’s control of information flows.
Why does it matter?
In other words, China is preparing to further tighten control over its domestic cyberspace using advanced AI tools. This includes reshaping content ecosystems, policing influencers, and eliminating what the Party calls “low-quality content” — a term that often includes criticism, dissent, satire, and independent commentary.
Internationally, the same AI-driven tools will strengthen China’s ability to expand its influence, shape narratives abroad, and present a curated image of the country.
These developments offer important insights into Beijing’s global digital ambitions. Understanding how the CCP uses AI for narrative control at home is essential, for example, for assessing the role of TikTok and other Chinese-owned platforms abroad — not merely as entertainment apps but as potential conduits for propaganda and influence operations.