A few months ago, the Chinese government issued a ban on “sissy men” on television and video streaming sites. This move, although a relatively low-level one with a limited impact, gained considerable traction in Western popular media. It is easy to see why: it speaks to pre-existing notions of China as an authoritarian octopus, forever looking for the next target to ensnare in its tentacles. It also speaks to highly visible identitarian debates in the West itself, and perhaps most of all: it is simple. The document containing this ban was only a few pages long, containing mostly bland administrative-speak.  In contrast, the government’s release of a collection of policy plans for the entire digital environment at the end of last year was mostly met with silence in Western media. Between Christmas and New Year, Chinese authorities issued an extensive five-year plan for the digital environment, with accompanying separate multi-year plans for digital government, the digital