China tightens internet restrictions National People's Congress | outside

China has long controlled and censored the media and the Internet. Many foreign websites (such as Google, YouTube), apps and social media (such as X, Instagram, Facebook) cannot be accessed in China.

Scrutiny is usually heightened during major political events, and this year is no different during the annual session of Parliament, which continues until tomorrow.

“Censorship is increasing and some tools to circumvent it are not working,” said VPN provider Astrill, which is popular with foreigners living in China. “We are doing everything we can to get all our services back up and running again,” the Liechtenstein-based company said.

Journalists from some state media outlets and Chinese diplomats are using VPNs to post on social media blocked in China.

An additional number of volunteers and police officers are also on the streets to ensure that the People's Congress is not disrupted and that no unwanted information emerges. And on Weibo – the Chinese equivalent of X – any hashtag related to politics and economics is banned.

The meeting of the Communist Party, the only party in China, is closely followed every year by the foreign press to determine the prevailing mood in the closed country. It is striking that, unlike in other years, Prime Minister Li Qiang does not hold a press conference at the end of the conference.