ABSTRACT
In "modern" China, the phrase "guiding public opinion" is still heard and promulgated on the evening news and read in the papers. With 4,000 years of civilization, China has consistently produced leaders and advisors who seem especially artful in using language to their advantage, understanding all too well that cruel and brutal rule must be glossed over with a soft veneer. And so it is in the late 1990s, when the world is witnessing the explosion information through the electronic media and the Internet, here in China controls over public opinion and publications are secured with such a seemingly innocuous phrase as "guiding public opinion". Yes, it's an improvement, but the reality of control and restriction is still embedded in its soft-laced words. Since 1989, and especially 1995, controls over the expression of ideas and the coverage of speeches have been tightened in the Chinese press. Tight control over media undoubtedly makes dictators feel cozy and secure.
