Beijing (CNN) One of Beijing's best known propagandists has pushed back against the government's internet crackdown ahead of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.

In the lead up to the major event, the Communist Party has tightened its already strong grip on the country's internet, making it more difficult to access websites restricted by the Great Firewall, the country's extensive internet surveillance and censorship system.

Editor of the state-run tabloid Global Times, Hu Xijin, said in a post on Chinese social media site Weibo that the crackdown was making it difficult even for his government publication to operate.

"I think it's a bit over the top ... The majority of people are patriotic and love the party," he said in the post. "The country isn't fragile, I suggest we should leave a narrow opening to foreign websites."

But almost as soon as he'd sent the post, Hu quickly deleted it, saying in a second post that it had "spread very fast."

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