Chinese state media soften tone as criticism of gaming continues

While the People’s Daily editorial used softer rhetoric, it nonetheless highlighted the potential adverse effects gaming can have on children, as did other outlets such as the Securities Daily and the China News Service. — Reuters

Chinese state media, including the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, toned down their criticisms of the video-game industry on Aug 4 after a harshly worded piece had a day earlier triggered a plunge in shares of Tencent Holdings Ltd and other companies in the sector.

Instead of calling video games “spiritual opium”, as a Tuesday article in the Economic Information Daily had, the People’s Daily published an editorial in its overseas edition that stressed the need for government, schools, families and broader society to work together to better protect children from excessive gaming. Because the People’s Daily is controlled by the Communist Party’s Central Committee, its positions on issues are widely seen as reflecting the views of China’s most senior leaders.