Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Friday announced that said April Fools’ Day did not "comply with our traditional culture and socialist core values". It said that it hoped Chinese citizens will not use the "Western concept" to spread rumours. China has the world’s largest Internet population. Xinhua’s post on its Weibo account has sparked a long list of comments from users, including many that poke fun at the news agency.

The move adds to China’s long-running campaign to control information about the country on the Internet and social media. According to The Washington Post, China launched a campaign to criminalise the spreading of rumours three years ago. The ruling Communist Party also introduced a rule where if anyone who tweeted something offensive or seditious was retweeted more than 500 times, they could face prosecution. The government is also reportedly drafting rules to effectively ban web domains not approved by local authorities.