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{{Short description|Chinese limited-circulation reports}}
'''Internal Reference''' ({{zh||labels=no|s=内部参考}}), abbreviated as '''''neican''''' ({{zh||labels=no|s=内参}}), is a series of internal reports with limited circulation prepared for [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) and government officials in the [[People's Republic of China]].<ref name="te">{{Cite news |date=June 17, 2010 |title=Chinese whispers |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2010/06/17/chinese-whispers |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-24 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=2021-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417145244/https://www.economist.com/asia/2010/06/17/chinese-whispers |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="la">{{Cite web |last=Magnier |first=Mark |date=2004-02-16 |title=Rosy Reports From Underlings Leave Chinese Leaders in the Dark |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-feb-16-fg-info16-story.html |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411041610/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-feb-16-fg-info16-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="clf">{{Cite thesis |title=The emergence, influence, and limitations of watchdog journalism in Post-1992 China : a case study of Southern Weekend |url=https://hdl.handle.net/10722/51696 |publisher=[[The University of Hong Kong]] |date=2007 |place=Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR |degree=Doctor of Philosophy |doi=10.5353/th_b4020385 |first=Li-fung |last=Cho|doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 }}</ref>
In the internal reference system of [[Xinhua News Agency]], the internal reference reports are divided into four levels. The highest level is the '''''Domestic Dynamics Proof Attachment''''' (《国内动态清样附页》), which is specifically provided for members of the [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP Politburo Standing Committee]] and relevant officials, usually reflecting highly significant and urgent situations. The second level includes the '''''Domestic Dynamics Proof''''' (《国内动态清样》) and the international-news '''''Reference Proof''''' (《参考清样》), which are provided to provincial- and ministerial-level leaders and their deputies, mainly covering important developments, sensitive issues, and key recommendations. Additionally, the third-level '''''Internal Reference''''' (《内部参考》) is directed at prefectural and departmental levels, with a lower sensitivity level than the ''Domestic Dynamics Proof''. The fourth level (lowest tier) is the '''''Internal Reference Selection''''' (《内参选编》), which compiles less sensitive content from the ''Internal Reference'' and the ''Domestic Dynamics Proof''; issued weekly, it is distributed to county- and regiment-level grassroots cadres for internal reading and discussion, although it still allows more leeway than publicly available materials.<ref name="21ccom">{{cite web |title="内参治国"成中国特色 |url=http://www.21ccom.net/articles/zgyj/gqmq/article_2013012375686.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520182016/http://www.21ccom.net/articles/zgyj/gqmq/article_2013012375686.html |archivedate=2013-05-20 |accessdate=2013-01-23 |publisher=共识网}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=直通中南海的内参，如何影响中国？ |url=http://news.ifeng.com/a/20160420/48518865_0.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121141051/http://news.ifeng.com/a/20160420/48518865_0.shtml |archivedate=2017-11-21 |accessdate=2016-04-20 |publisher=凤凰网}}</ref>
In addition to Xinhua News Agency, other state-run media outlets also publish internal publications in various formats. These include the ''Compilation of Public Letters'' (《群众来信摘编》), the ''Situation Compilation'' (《情况汇编》), and the ''Special Issue of the Situation Compilation'' (《情况汇编特刊》) by the ''[[People's Daily]];'' the ''Situation Report'' (《情况反映》) by the ''[[Guangming Daily]];'' the ''Compilation of Youth Letters'' (《青年来信摘编》) by the ''[[China Youth Daily]];'' and the ''Situation Briefing'' (《情况简报》) by the ''[[Jiefang Daily|Shanghai Jiefang Daily]]'', among others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=直达中南海的内参，怎样影响中国 |url=http://paper.people.com.cn/rmzk/html/2016-05/04/content_1676165.htm |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=《 人民周刊 》（2016年第9期）}}</ref>
According to the [[Censorship in China|media regulation in China]], certain matters that media outlets believe would harm the image of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]], threaten social stability and unity, or other matters not suitable for open publication, such as certain events of corruption, social unrest, and large-scale business swindles, should be reported internally rather than publicly. The ''neican'' serves to keep CCP leaders informed about the issues that are seen as too sensitive be reported and discussed in the public publications.<ref name=clf/> Thus, the internal reference is supposed to offer more realistic and less censored version of events.<ref name=la/> They are often similar in form to [[Investigative journalism|investigative reporting]], and are prepared by the journalists working for the official media such as Xinhua News Agency and the ''People’s Daily''.<ref name=clf/> As such, certain information collected by the [[Mass media in China|Chinese media]] is published in the internal reference, not in the public publications.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ning |first=Lou |url=https://archive.org/details/chinesedemocracyandthecrisisof1989chineseandamericanreflections |title=Chinese Democracy and the Crisis of 1989: Chinese and American Reflections |date=1993-01-01 |publisher=[[SUNY Press]] |isbn=978-0-7914-1269-5 |pages=299 |language=en}}</ref> Some government think tanks also produce ''neican''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=September 5, 2024 |title=The Chinese authorities are concealing the state of the economy |url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/09/05/the-chinese-authorities-are-concealing-the-state-of-the-economy |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-09-06 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=2024-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905230521/https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/09/05/the-chinese-authorities-are-concealing-the-state-of-the-economy |url-status=live }}</ref>
The popularity of ''neican'' has been on the rise in recent years, with some estimates suggesting a several-fold increase in the last decade from 2000.<ref name=te/>
Since CCP [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|general secretary]] [[Xi Jinping]] has consolidated power, ''neican'' have been subject to censorship previously applied only to media for the general public.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Kang |first=Dake |date=31 October 2022 |title=In Xi's China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship |url=https://apnews.com/article/health-china-beijing-covid-wuhan-3c199e3f1a084013da18fc9e6061e775 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240830140954/https://apnews.com/article/health-china-beijing-covid-wuhan-3c199e3f1a084013da18fc9e6061e775 |archive-date=30 August 2024 |access-date=31 October 2022 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
==Criticism==
''Neican'' have been criticized for being slow and inefficient.<ref name=te/><ref name=la/> Often, they focus on information already available in the [[Internet]], but not in the Chinese traditional printed mainstream media, which is both censored by the government, and in which [[self-censorship]] of sensitive items is present.<ref name=te/><ref name=la/> They are also seen as biased (produced by CCP members for other party members), often saying what the writers expect the superiors want to hear, and downplaying or omitting unpleasant news.<ref name=te/><ref name=la/> Criticism of Xi Jinping's policies is avoided in ''neican''.<ref name=":1" /> As [[Hu Xingdou]], a professor of social science at the [[Beijing Institute of Technology]], notes: "[...] there are some issues that even neican won't touch", for example, military affairs and high-level corruption.<ref name=la/>
Some lower-level ''neican'' by lower-level non-popular media turn into profit centers for their publishers, which try to increase their subscription base.<ref name="te" /><ref name="la" /> Sometimes, the term ''neican'' is used to refer to [[List of books banned by governments|restricted literature]] (books available only to individuals with certain clearances).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Theroux |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Theroux |url=https://archive.org/details/ridingironrooste00paul |title=Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China |date=1989 |publisher=Ivy Books |isbn=978-0-8041-0454-8 |pages=74 |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Internal media of the Chinese Communist Party]]
*''[[Dibao (ancient Chinese gazette)|Tipao]]''
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Government of China]]