Last week, the Chinese regime’s largest English language newspaper—China Daily—came out with its biggest makeover since it was founded in 1981.

The revamp of the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece is part of a $6.5 billion U.S. dollar plan to expand the regime’s global media network.

While the regime is trying to gain a foothold on the world’s media stage, back home its tight grip on freedom of expression shows no signs of easing up.

Last month, the agency responsible for press accreditation, the General Administration of Press and Publications, outlawed independent online news services. It says online journalists—except those from state-sanctioned media—will not be issued press cards, cannot carry out interviews or make news reports.

Hu Liyun from the International Federation of Journalists—or IFJ—says that is a double standard.

[Hu Liyun, International Federation of Journalists]:
“Those sanctioned by the country—like the People’s Daily—can apply for a press pass, but other websites cannot. What is the basis behind this? We do not understand. If it says that all online journalists are illegal, then why are journalists with the People’s Daily legal? The [CCP] party central needs to give a clear explanation of this, why is this line being drawn?”

Online news websites—many associated with human rights efforts—have emerged across China over the past few years. Journalists from these services try to report stories and investigations that are avoided by state-run media.

And many of these journalists pay a heavy price for their work.

On February 9th, writer Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years in jail for so-called “subversion.” Tan had been involved in the making of an independent report on the schools that collapsed during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake that killed thousands of students.