Recently, a new phenomenon has emerged in China's social governance. Reforms have been pushed forward extensively, which have attracted great public support. But at the same time, voices that question the country's grand strategies can be heard in China's opinion sphere, represented by viewpoints such as "the country is shifting to the left" and "it is moving backward."

It is worth noting that concepts like being politically on the left or right have almost been abandoned in policy interpretations of China's official documents. The mainstream media does not use them often, except when mentioning the past. But on the Internet, the two words are frequently used and two opposing camps representing the conflicting views have been formed.

Currently, the meaning of being a "leftist" or a "rightist" is ambiguous, but their ideological significance is prominent. In other words, they convey very negative connotations. Their meaning stems from even before the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) era and the beginning of China's reform and opening-up.

The concept of "leftist" and "rightist" in international politics contrasts with the meanings in China's opinion sphere. In the West, people often view political idealists as "leftists" and view those worshiping pragmatism and traditional values as "rightists," and the two words don't have much ideological connotation. Some Chinese scholars are believed to be "leftists" in China, but "rightists" in the West, which they feel rather baffled about. Those who label some current Chinese policies as "leftist" probably want to utter their dissatisfaction, but they can barely illustrate their views clearly.

China has adopted unprecedented anti-corruption policies and pushed forward the rule of law and economic reforms. These cannot be simply taken as "leftist" or "rightist." People's dissatisfaction may come from Internet regulations, which they believe is a "leftist" trend. A few years ago, Internet commentary in no way reflected real society. The Internet used to be China's most radical corner. There were political tendencies that went against China's constitution. Regulating the Internet has become an unavoidable task.

The ongoing World Internet Conference shows China's great achievements regarding the Internet. The world has a positive view of the future of China's Internet development. Internet regulations are seen as securing the future rather than threatening it.

The attitude of some Chinese toward the "leftist" trend shares a similarity with the West's negative view toward China. To some Western elites, China's rise and its governance by the Communist Party of China (CPC) are unacceptable. To some Chinese people, they only care if China's policies will lead the country to the Western path and if they can shake the leadership of the CPC.

The debate over being politically on the left or right is outdated. Such debates on the Internet are too shallow to link them to the country's politics.