China’s tech sector, once reluctant to display any political affiliations, is becoming more open about ties with the ruling Communist party, on the eve of a landmark meeting where the country’s next leaders will be chosen.
More than 35 tech companies, including large groups such as Sina and Baidu, have quietly instituted party committees in recent years. These assess a company’s daily operations to ensure they do not stray from party objectives, but had typically been given little fanfare because of concerns around alienating foreign partners and investors.
But now tech groups are increasingly promoting their party ties. When bike-sharing unicorn Ofo set up a party committee this year, it sent a statement to the Global Times, a Communist party tabloid, announcing the news.