CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Chinese coverage of Russian internet blackouts is remarkably discreet. Xinhua doesn't mention the outages, and People's Daily focuses on Sino-Russian cooperation at the Zhongguancun Forum rather than Moscow's digital difficulties. The Global Times, when it addresses the topic, frames it as a 'legitimate wartime security measure,' drawing an implicit parallel with China's Great Firewall: every state has the sovereign right to control its digital space.

The South China Morning Post, more independent from Hong Kong, is the only one offering nuanced analysis, noting Russian methods are 'more brutal but less effective' than the Chinese model. The Chinese Great Firewall enables permanent, invisible control; Russian outages are visible, disruptive and economically costly.

CGTN avoids the subject in its English-language coverage, preferring not to draw attention to its ally's internet control practices. The logic follows the Sino-Russian 'community of shared destiny': Moscow's weaknesses are weaknesses of the multipolar axis.

Internally, CCP analysts observe Russia's situation as a case study: how NOT to manage digital control. The Chinese model — preventive censorship, abundant alternative content (WeChat, Weibo, Bilibili), no brutal shutdowns — is considered infinitely superior.