This week, a report from IT Home highlighted Tencent“s recent efforts to encourage “positive energy” while suppressing online negativity. The term “positive energy,” as noted by the China Media Project, has gained significance in the era of Xi Jinping, referring to state-controlled messaging that emphasizes uplifting content over critical perspectives, particularly regarding the Party and government.
On October 28, Zhu Dianjun, Tencent”s Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of Public Policy, announced the establishment of a Positive Energy Algorithm Task Force during the 2025 Content Creator Carnival in Guangzhou. Zhu emphasized that Tencent intends to leverage WeChat”s unique social network to promote the organic sharing of high-quality content, including knowledge sharing and emotional connections among users. This approach aims not only to facilitate the sharing of valuable content but also to systematically reduce the spread of harmful information, fostering a healthier digital ecosystem where “the good drives out the bad.”
According to IT Home, the task force is part of a broader initiative called “Clear and Bright: Management of Common Algorithmic Issues on Online Platforms,” launched in response to growing public concerns about algorithmic recommendations that may amplify vulgar content and create “information cocoons.” The Cyberspace Administration of China has been closely monitoring and guiding major platforms in refining their recommendation algorithms and adjusting operational rules. In this context, platforms have proactively signed the Nanning Declaration on Algorithms for Good, enhancing the review process for algorithmically recommended content.
Key platforms, including Douyin, Xiaohongshu (RedNote), Weibo, Kuaishou, WeChat Channels, and Bilibili, have actively optimized various functions to prioritize positive-energy content. These efforts include improving user choice, diversifying recommended content, and enhancing transparency in algorithms. In May, WeChat Channels introduced an “Infographic Guide to Understanding WeChat Channels” Algorithmic Recommendations” and launched features such as “Cocoon Assessment” and “One-Click Cocoon Buster” to help users navigate potential information cocoons.
Responses collected from Weibo by CDT”s Chinese editors were more humorous than complimentary. Users made remarks such as, “When the algorithm detects users whose positive energy is running low, it will automatically recharge them for free,” and “If everything”s positive energy, there”s no energy at all.” Some comments suggested a satirical view of the initiative, with users joking about the necessity of a research institute dedicated to “positive energy.”
The push to dismantle information cocoons—referred to as “信息茧房” (information cocoons)—appears paradoxical, considering the Chinese government”s extensive efforts to restrict information across the internet. In August, Chinese officials accused the Taiwanese government of creating an information cocoon that restricts knowledge of the mainland, suggesting that despite efforts to control information, the internet facilitates more open exchanges between users from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Amid the influx of users migrating from TikTok to Xiaohongshu, a blog post from a nationalist-leaning platform suggested that the real information cocoon lies on foreign websites. The author claimed that Chinese social platforms provide a more diverse and inclusive environment, free from the constraints of political correctness found on Western sites.
However, the Chinese authorities quickly dismissed the notion that a multilingual communication platform is a viable path forward. CDT translated various critical perspectives from users regarding the situation, indicating a general skepticism about the sustainability of this “global-village moment.”
