Stories about China from September, 2021
A veteran Hong Kong Wikipedia editor: “Wikipedia's policies are vulnerable to authoritarian abuse”
'Lock up netizens who are skeptical of the Chinese establishment, let the regime's loyal cheerleaders pass through the net... and voila you have an army of self-motivated propagandists'.
China in Ethiopia: Between a savior and an exploiter?
Whereas some online commentaries celebrate China’s help and contributions to Ethiopia, other discussions on Chinese projects tend to emphasize their exploitative features
Turkey’s Uyghur dilemma in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative
As economic ties between Ankara and Beijing strengthened, Turkey's policies on the treatment of Uyghurs in China weakened.
Behind Chinese Wikipedia user ban: threats, verbal attacks and election canvassing
The Foundation explained that the radical steps were taken as "some users have been physically harmed" as a result of the 'exposure of personal information to users in mainland China.'
Chinese firms in Nigeria face widespread labour abuse allegations, tainting bilateral relationship
Nigerians in that company are "mandated to call their Chinese employers master or mistress. Male Nigerian workers are physically assaulted, while their female counterparts are sexually assaulted,” writes a whistleblower.
Dissenting artist Ai Weiwei on Hong Kong: art would not be art if it cannot be done in the face of tyranny
'Art would not be art if it cannot be done in the face of tyranny… the artworks which fight for freedom are precious efforts of the human spirit.'
France blasts Australia's nuclear-powered submarine deal with US and UK as ‘duplicity’
'I wanted to underline the level of anger that exists here in France at the moment. Your government is an embarrassment, ...the damage regarding the Australian image here is huge'.
Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy union coalition to disband, cites threats to safety
Pro-Beijing media outlets labelled the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions as a foreign agent, a potential offence under the National Security Law.
China as a cultural threat in Ethiopia: From food to cultural appropriation
Public interest in Chinese exotic eating habits and in potential appropriation of Ethiopian traditional culture speaks of the larger rifts in Sino-Ethiopian encounters
Chinese higher education programs attract increasing numbers of students from Kazakhstan
Education abroad and study exchanges have become instruments for the Chinese government to attract foreign students, especially from Kazakhstan. Does studying in China trigger support among Kazakhstani students?
The construction of Chinese patriotic masculinity: ‘sissies will ruin the nation’
The Chinese regulators have banned effeminate images and idols on both television and video streaming sites since September 2, 2021.
Diverging narratives on the Belt and Road Initiative in Greece and China
After years of investment in the port, information on the hurdles that China’s BRI is facing in Greece differs across the language of the media reporting it.
Hong Kong set to dismantle Tiananmen vigil host ahead of China's National Day
The Hong Kong Alliance, a group of opposition activists, is being dismantled following the arrest of its core members, further eroding what remains of Hong Kong's democracy.
China's unfulfilled promise to develop Venezuela's mines
The Venezuelan and Chinese governments promoted the mining sector as a solution to Venezuela's oil dependence. Despite millionaire investments, the industry is far from its achieving its promise.
Turkey and China in the eastern Mediterranean: Partners or competitors?
China and Turkey continue to collaborate on their visions for trans-continental integration, though should Ankara's political and military ambitions increase, Beijing might reconsider its role as a reliable BRI partner.
Hong Kong labels the host of Tiananmen vigil and other civic groups as ‘foreign agents’ to justify clampdown
'Once the organization is labelled as a "political organization", those who are funded or employed by them would be treated as foreign agents.'
China's crackdown on business, media and entertainment sectors is packaged as a ‘profound revolution’
China started a heavy-handed clampdown on the private corporate sector from Big Tech companies to property developers near the end of 2020. The crackdown then extended to education, culture and entertainment.
Chinese netizens identify the Weibo supervisor system as a source of arbitrary censorship
Each Weibo supervisor filed an average of 4,472 censorship reports in July 2021. The top performer would have to file 700 complaints per day and 70 reports per hour.