Stories about China from May, 2013
China's Kunming Residents Stage Another Chemical Plant Protest
Hundreds of Kunming residents gathered outside city government buildings on May 16, 2013 to protest against plans for a chemical refinery near the southern Chinese city, the second major demonstration against the project after a protest on May 4.
Chinese Government Bans Seven ‘Speak-Not’ Subjects
A prominent Chinese law professor recently revealed in his microblog on popular Twitter-like site Sina Weibo that the Chinese government has imposed a policy on university professors instructing them not to teach seven subjects, including freedom of the press, past mistakes of the communist party, and human rights.
Chinese Officials Attempt to Stem Protests
After Kunming's Anti-PX protest on May 4, 2013, local government has tried to stop further protests by sending text messages, “visiting” protest organizers, and censoring information online. East by Southeast has more details.
Obama Graduation Speech Sparks Debate In China: What Is Citizenship?
Last week, a speech by U.S. President Barack Obama on the value of engaged citizenship made waves in Chinese social media.
WeiboSuite: New Tool to Analyze Sina Weibo
WeiboSuite is a new toolbox for journalists and netizens. Created by data journalists from the University of Hong Kong, WeiboSuite provides English translations of censored materials on Weibo and tools to translate textual images.
Chinese Web Floods White House with Petitions
An unsolved case of poisoning of a 19-year college student in 1994 has resurfaced in the Chinese social media sphere. It has not only grabbed the wide attention of Chinese netizens, but also triggered a wave of petitions to the White House.
Save Lhasa, Tibet from Destruction
High Peaks Pure Earth has published Elliot Sperling's translation of prominent Tibetan writer, Woser's recent blogpost urging the world to save Lhasa from being turned into another tourist shopping mall.
China: Report on Sexual Assault
Patrick Lozada and James Griffiths from Shanghaiist explained on the findings of a report that found that around 50 percent of Chinese men admit to sexually assaulting their partners: In publishing our original post, and this follow up, we are not seeking to demonise Chinese men […] Domestic violence is...
Popular Chinese Writer's Microblog Scrubbed from Sina Weibo
The online Sina Weibo microblogging account of Murong Xuecun, one of China's most popular writers and one of the country's foremost critics of censorship, has been deleted from the site, suspected to be part of the government's efforts to crack down on online rumors by targeting high-profile users.
Shanghai Residents Protest Battery Plant Over Potential Pollution
Hundreds of residents marched along a street in the outskirts of Shanghai on May 11, 2013 to oppose plans for a lithium battery plant, marking the country’s second protest in a week over potential environmental pollution.
Chinese Director's Reported Seven Children Shocks Public
China's one-child policy is once again under scrutiny after mainland media revealed that famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou might have fathered seven children. Frustrated netizens thronged to social media, seizing upon the case as yet another example that privilege is what it takes for one in China to flout laws and regulations.
Hong Kong's Policymaking Keeps China in Mind
Two confidential Hong Kong Government memorandums has been leaked. The documents would take effect from 1 June 2013 and require an assessment on Mainland reaction and related public relations measures will become a mandatory requirement for all policy committee papers and Executive Council submission. Bad Canto believes that “Hong Kong...
Chinese Politics like Heredity Monarchy?
The current Chinese Communist Party leaders are the second generation red and the third and the fourth generations are emerging in the political scene. The political system in China is more and more like a hereditary monarchy, said Chinese netizens. Off Beat China summarized the discussion.
Young Woman's Suspicious Death Triggers Rare Protests in Beijing
Thousands of people took to the streets in Beijing yesterday, May 8, 2013, in response the suspicious death of a young migrant worker named Yuan Liya.
Obama, Minister of Chinese Petitions?
The White House petition for the Zhu Ling case has received 137,676 signatures by May 8, 2013. Some web users have made light of the fact that Chinese have turned to an American petition site seeking justice. The following image shared on Sina Weibo is Obama in the Oval Office, which has...
Chinese Communist Party's Benevolence?
The term Party's benevolence is frequently used in political propaganda in China. Mary Ann O'Donnell looks into how's the term being used in ordinary people's daily life.
Rat Meat Sold as Lamb in China
Chinese police have caught a gang of traders who bought rat and fox meat and sold it as lamb. When the scandal was featured in Chinese newspapers and websites, it caused outrage among consumers who have been hit by a series of food scandals in recent years. TeaLeafNation has translated[zh] some online...
China: More Suicides at Foxconn Factory
Two Foxconn employees recently jumped to their deaths in Zhengzhou, raising concerns about the poor working conditions in the world’s largest electronics manufacturer.
China Censors Chemical Plant Protest
Residents of China’s southwestern Kunming city took to the streets on May 4, 2013 to protest against the potential production of a toxic chemical at a nearby factory. China's state media kept the news of the protest quiet, and online censors aggressively deleted information and photos about the demonstration on social media.
China's Unfair Pension System
The Economic Observer[zh] ran a piece on China's dual-track pension system, which reveals the huge inequality between migrant workers and civil servants. ChinaSmack has translated the Chinese article as well as some online comments.
China: Unsolved Poisoning Case in Spotlight
Due to the recent poisoning case at Shanghai's Fudan University, Chinese netizens have taken renewed interest in another well-known university poisoning from 20 years ago. In 1994, Tsinghua University chemistry student Zhu Ling was nearly killed and permanently paralyzed due to thallium poisoning. Although cleared from charges, her roommate Sun...
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