Impact of Western transmission of the Peking Gazette on Late-Qing China's information security

The Peking Gazette, a widely circulated and authoritative medium for disseminating Qing government information, significantly influenced imperial governance. In the 19th century, Western missionaries, diplomats, and businessmen translated extensive political, social, cultural, economic, and military-diplomatic content from the Gazette into English. While this facilitated cultural exchange, it also furnished Western powers with political and military intelligence during their expansion. Initially unaware of this transmission, the Qing court continued publishing sensitive internal information and later adopted ineffective countermeasures, resulting in serious harm to national information security and political stability. The historical lessons highlight the need to balance openness and transparency with safeguarding national security.

Ling Chen, Lianjian Deng