CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 88: June 13, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Party outlets reject constitutionalism amid ideological clampdown
* Online censors seen testing new tactics before Tiananmen anniversary
* Officials’ evolving responses to pollution protests play out online and off
* Little progress on cybersecurity, human rights at Obama-Xi summit
* Chinese diplomats harass French journalist, TV station after Tibet report

Photo of the Week:Forbidden Fruit

Credit: Offbeat China

OTHER HEADLINES
* Journalists assaulted by officials in Shaanxi Province
* Filmmaker, Falun Gong adherents detained for documenting torture
* People’s Daily Online faces backlash over anti-American series
* Recent arrests of online dissidents and social media users
* ‘iSun Affairs’ publisher Chen Ping beaten by thugs
* U.S. sets SoftBank-Sprint merger terms with Huawei concerns in mind
* Chinese president and first lady woo Latin American media

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Party outlets reject constitutionalism amid ideological clampdown

In recent weeks, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media outlets have pushed back against rising calls for genuine adherence to China’s constitution, which includes nominal guarantees of civil liberties like freedom of speech but is subordinated to party dictates in practice (see CMB No. 79). A May 21 editorial in the journal Red Flag Manuscript argued that constitutionalism is a feature of “capitalism and bourgeoisie dictatorship.” The party-owned newspaper Global Times also asserted that the concept would impede China’s development. On May 29, an article in the journal Party Construction claimed that constitutionalism would mean abolishing the CCP’s leadership role and overthrowing the “socialist regime.” Meanwhile, after reports emerged in early May that the CCP had issued a directive banning university classroom discussion on seven topics (see CMB No. 87), including civil liberties and constitutionalism, the Ministry of Education published a statement on May 27 ordering all universities to improve ideological training for young teachers. An unidentified ministry official cited in a May 28 article by the official Xinhua news agency explained that teachers below the age of 40 account for 60 percent of all teaching staff in Chinese universities, and that some lack discipline and ideological rigor. China analyst Bill Bishop has argued that the fresh emphasis on ideological controls is part of a broader effort by the new CCP leadership to brace the regime ahead of badly needed economic reforms.

* DW News 5/30/2013 (in Chinese): Central propaganda department: To carry out constitutionalism is to overthrow the Chinese Communist Party leadership and Chinese socialist government
* Washington Post 6/3/2013: China’s constitution debate hits a sensitive nerve
* Xinhua 5/28/2013: Universities urged to enhance ideological work for young teachers
* New York Times 5/28/2013: Tamping down expectations on China’s growth

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Journalists assaulted by officials in Shaanxi Province

Journalists were attacked in three separate incidents in Shaanxi Province on May 29 and 30. The first assault occurred on May 29, after a journalist identified as Feng, from the newspaper Shaanxi Science and Technology Views, refused to accept a bribe to curb his investigation of an illegal land eviction in Yulin City, Yuyang District. Two men with a knife allegedly attacked Feng, who incurred several injuries, during a meeting with the deputy minister of the local propaganda department. On May 30, two journalists from New West magazine were reportedly attacked by several officers and the director of the Department of Land and Resources as they investigated an illegal gold-mining operation in Weinan City. One of the journalists was reportedly punched in the head by the director, who told the pair, “Do we have to report to media about what are we doing? We have rights not to answer your questions. I could make you die today.” In a third incident, two television journalists were allegedly attacked by the headmaster and deputy headmaster of a vocational school while they were investigating a student complaint. Physical assaults against journalists have been increasing in recent years, but they often involve unidentified attackers whose connections to the authorities are suspected rather than overt. The transparent participation of officials in some of the recent incidents is an indication of the impunity that generally prevails after such assaults.

* IFJ 6/3/2013: IFJ condemns series of attacks on journalists in Shaanxi Province

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Filmmaker, Falun Gong adherents detained for documenting torture

Du Bin, a Chinese journalist who had previously worked as a freelance photographer for the New York Times, was detained in Beijing on May 31 for “disturbing public order.” He was taken from his apartment by more than 10 police officers. Du had recently published a book in Hong Kong on the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, and released a documentary film featuring over a dozen former inmates of the notorious Masanjia reeducation-through-labor camp. The women describe gruesome torture and sexual abuse, with some methods even more severe than those covered in a hard-hitting investigative report by Lens Magazine in April (see CMB No. 87). According to prominent Beijing-based activist Hu Jia, the filmmaker was being held at a detention center in Beijing’s Fengtai district, but Du’s sister reported that as of June 11 the family had not been formally notified of his whereabouts. Separately, on June 4, the official Xinhua news agency reported that 16 adherents of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement were detained at a residence in Qingdao, Shandong Province, in early May. The agency said they were being held for producing photos depicting reenacted scenes of torture with the intent of posting them on the internet. The article stated that those arrested had red-colored fluids on their bodies, quoting one participant as attesting that the images showed “what it is like in prison.” The article was unusual for its departure from Chinese state media’s general taboo on discussing Falun Gong or the human rights abuses suffered by its practitioners. It may have been an effort to discredit the reports of torture suffered by Falun Gong adherents in camps such as Masanjia. Xinhua identified the leader of the detained individuals as Lu Xueqin. According to the 2009 report of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China and Chinese-language overseas websites, Lu had been permanently paralyzed after a severe beating by Qingdao police in March of that year, indicating that those arrested in the raid included genuine torture survivors.

* South China Morning Post 6/11/2013: Independent filmmaker Du Bin disappears in Beijing
* Radio Free Asia 6/11/2013: Masanjia filmmaker held in Beijing over ‘illegal publishing’
* YouTube 5/4/2013: Above the Ghosts’ Heads: The women of Masanjia labor camp
* Xinhua 6/4/2013: 16 Falun Gong practitioners arrested
* CECC 10/1/2009: Annual Report 2009
* Secret China 3/9/2009 (in Chinese): Falun Gong practitioners to be tried in Qingdao, Lu Xueqin paralyzed after torture

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Online censors seen testing new tactics before Tiananmen anniversary
 
In what has become an annual ritual, Chinese internet portals and websites stepped up censorship in the days surrounding the June 4 anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on prodemocracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, though with some slight changes this year. On the eve of the anniversary, the blog GreatFire.org reported that the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo was apparently experimenting with a new approach to censoring relevant content posted by its users. For several days beginning on May 31, search queries for politically sensitive terms yielded either a standard error message or seemingly “harmless” results about unrelated issues or other historical events that took place on Tiananmen Square. There was no message indicating to users that certain results were being omitted, meaning the censorship was essentially invisible. GreatFire.org offered an impressive follow-up analysis of the implications of this method if it were to be fully adopted in the future (see link below). However, beginning on June 3, the relevant searches once again produced the earlier message: “Results cannot be displayed due to regulations.” As in past years, according to China Digital Times, blocked search terms included oblique references to June 4 such as “35” (as in “May 35”) or “TAM” (for “Tiananmen”). More mundane words like “today” and “tomorrow” were also blocked, as was the candle emoticon. Some new terms were added to this year’s censored list, including “big yellow duck,” a reference to a popular doctored version of the famous Tiananmen “Tank Man” photograph in which the column of tanks halted by a single civilian are replaced by four giant rubber ducks. The online encyclopedia Wikipedia was reportedly inaccessible, though its unencrypted Chinese-language version with missing information about various sensitive topics was still available. After activists called for people to commemorate the anniversary by wearing black, searches for the term “black shirt” were blocked. According to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, authorities around the country restricted the movements of known activists and blocked entrances to cemeteries, while Gu Yimin, a Jiangsu-based online activist, was detained on charges of “incitement to subvert state power,” after he reportedly refused to delete a photo of June 4 from his account on Tencent QQ. Despite the censorship efforts, many prominent Weibo users commemorated the anniversary by taking a 24-hour break from posting, while others referenced the crackdown before their posts were scrubbed by censors. “Don’t worry about forgetfulness—at least the Sina censors remember,” wrote prominent film director Jia Zhanke.
 
* GreatFire.org 5/31/2013: Sina testing subtle censorship ahead of Tiananmen anniversary
* GreatFire.org 6/3/2013: China’s internet: Now a giant invisible cage
* Guardian 6/4/2013: Tiananmen Square online searches censored by Chinese authorities
* China Digital Times 6/3/2013: Sensitive words: 24th anniversary of Tiananmen
* Hollywood Reporter 6/3/2013: China blocks uncensored version of Wikipedia ahead of Tiananmen Square anniversary
* Tea Leaf Nation 6/3/2013: China’s prominent Weiborati speak out on even of Tiananmen anniversary
* Radio Free Asia 6/4/2013: Chinese activist held for posting Tiananmen photo online
* China Human Rights Defenders 5/31/2013: China human rights briefing, May 24–30, 2013

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People’s Daily Online faces backlash over anti-American series

People’s Daily Online, the website of the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, published a series of three articles from March to May that claimed to present a “more objective picture” of the American people. An editor’s note accompanying the English-language version of the so-called “Dishonest Americans Series” explained that the general impression of Americans as being “honest, reliable, and righteous” could be misleading. The note with the somewhat more hostile Chinese version, whose title translated as “Immoral and Dishonest Americans,” said the column was meant to show the “other side” of Americans. The three articles included anecdotes about a locksmith in New Jersey who demanded some $800 to change two locks, a United Airlines employee who stopped a passenger from boarding an overbooked flight, and a payroll company that stole money from a client. The series, which initially drew little attention, generated a flurry of criticism from Chinese netizens after a number of major Chinese media outlets reported on it in late May. “But we all know how many immoral and dishonest governments there are in the world—and we don’t need a column to tell us,” said Beijing scholar Wu Zuolai. Another netizen commented, “I suggest they run a series called Dishonest Party Members and Dishonest Officials, they’d have a lot more to choose from.” In response to the outrage, People’s Daily Online switched the title of the series to “The Americans You Don’t Know.” However, after continued backlash, the title of the series was removed entirely from both the English and Chinese versions. Chinese internet users have reacted with similar skepticism to past examples of xenophobic sentiment in state media (see CMB No. 59).

* Business Insider 5/30/2013: Chinese state newspaper faces backlash over ‘dishonest Americans’ article
* South China Morning Post 5/25/2013: Outrage after People’s Daily’s ‘dishonest Americans’ column goes viral
* New York Times 5/30/2013: In China, second thoughts about ‘dishonest Americans’ column
* People’s Daily Online 3/16/2013: Pricy locksmith
* People’s Daily Online 3/14/2013 (in Chinese): Pricy locksmith
 
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Recent arrests of online dissidents and social media users

- Dissident writer held for ‘picking quarrels’: One of China’s best-known cyberdissidents, Du Daobin, was detained in Beijing on June 5 on suspicion of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” on social media sites, according to his lawyer. Du had been arrested in 2003 for writing on overseas websites about the crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual movement and the need for political reform. He received a suspended sentence and was confined to his home in 2004, then jailed from 2008 until late 2010 after publishing additional articles overseas (see CMB No. 4).

- Arrests for ‘rumors’ on migrant worker’s death: Police have reportedly arrested at least 13 people for “spreading rumors” online in connection with a protest over the alleged gang rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman, migrant worker Yuan Liya, in Beijing on May 3 (see CMB No. 87). On May 8, hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the Jingwen Market, where Yuan’s body was found, to demand a new police investigation after authorities deemed her death a suicide. Yuan’s boyfriend, identified as Peng, was reportedly one of the 13 people arrested. He was accused of fabricating the rape and murder allegations, having insisted that his girlfriend was not suicidal and called on police to reopen the case.

- Activist detained after live-blogging home invasion: Women’s rights activist Ye Haiyan was arrested on May 30 after being accused of attacking several people with a cleaver in her home. She was released after 13 days of administrative detention. Ye, who has worked to combat child abuse and defend the rights of sex workers, said she had defended herself while being physically attacked by people who invaded her home in Bobai, Guangxi Province. She used her Sina Weibo microblogging account to call for help during the incident, writing at one point, “Now there are four or five women in my home, beating me.” On the day of the attack, Ye had just returned from a protest against the molestation of elementary school students on nearby Hainan Island. When she was released on June 12, approximately 100 people gathered outside her apartment building, shouting insults and demanding that she leave the county. Ye live-blogged that incident as well, which she linked to broader pressure from local authorities to drive her out.

* Radio Free Asia 6/6/2013: Chinese dissident held for 'picking quarrels' after tweets
* Australian 5/23/2013: China net crackdown crushes rape protest
* Sydney Global Times 5/22/2013 (in Chinese): Boyfriend of Anhui girl arrested for “spreading rumor” about her “mysterious death”
* New York Times 6/7/2013: Detention of critic of child abuse draws ire in China
* Tea Leaf Nation 6/12/2013: Online and offline worlds collide as a women’s rights activist returns home

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Officials’ evolving responses to pollution protests play out online and off
 
Officials in the southwestern city of Kunming sent mixed signals to residents following a May 16 protest against a new state-owned petrochemical plant in nearby Anning, promising transparency while using various online and offline methods to prevent further demonstrations. The May 16 gathering, which drew an estimated 2,000 people, followed an initial protest on May 4. Opponents of the plant called for its cancellation or relocation amid fears that it would release paraxylene (PX), a suspected carcinogen. The protesters wore facemasks (to prevent their identification) and white T-shirts, and carried printed banners with slogans like “We want to be healthy! PX project, get out of Kunming!” Despite a heavy police presence, the demonstration passed peacefully, though a small number of people were reportedly arrested. Netizens posted photos of the event online, while the city’s mayor spoke to the crowd, promising greater transparency and public consultations. The following day, he opened a microblog account on Sina Weibo, which drew 8,000 followers within an hour. However, both before and after the protest, authorities took measures to deter such assemblies, particularly in the run-up to the June 6–10 China–South Asia Expo in the city. Ahead of the May 16 demonstration, several local activists were “invited to tea” with police. And according to directives leaked online, on the day of the event, the Central Propaganda Department and State Internet Information Office instructed media not to report on it and social media sites to remove related “text, video, and images.” Over the following week, local authorities banned bulk purchases of facemasks and white T-shirts. The Southern Metropolis Daily reported that several shops had begun requesting identification from customers seeking to make photocopies. Similar reports of facemask buyers being asked for ID in Anning sparked a public outcry, prompting the government to end the practice. Meanwhile, according to the South China Morning Post, police conducted a “live drill” with armored vehicles as a show of force, and authorities sent a text message to local residents warning that “behavior that … sabotages the China–South Asia Expo will be cracked down on.” However, officials also promised on June 3 to release an impact assessment on the planned chemical plant. The measures as a whole appeared to succeed in preventing further protests, but they were less conciliatory than the responses to past cases of large-scale protests against PX plants in Xiamen, Dalian, and Ningbo in recent years, in which officials backtracked or promised to relocate the facilities (see CMB Nos. 64, 73). Officials in Chengdu responded even more stringently to potential protests in early May, placing activists under house arrest and sending warning leaflets to households.
 
* Guardian 5/16/2013: Chinese protesters take to streets in Kunming over plans for chemical plant
* South China Morning Post 5/17/2013: Kunming mayor stays true to his promise and opens microblog account
* China Digital Times 5/16/2013: Kunming environmental protest
* Shanghai Daily 5/30/2013: Authorities rescind order to hush protesters
* China Digital Times 5/6/2013: Anatomy of two protests: Kunming vs. Chengdu
* South China Morning Post 5/27/2013: Kunming restrics face mask and T-shirt sales ‘to prevent more environmental protests’
* Southern Metropolis Daily 5/27/2013 (in Chinese): White T-shirts allegedly banned from selling in Kunming, printing requires real name registration
* South China Morning Post 5/20/2013: Governments toughen stance on environmental protesters amid Kunming, Chengdu actions

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HONG KONG

‘iSun Affairs’ publisher Chen Ping beaten by thugs
 
Chen Ping, the founder and publisher of the Hong Kong–based weekly magazine iSun Affairs, was beaten on June 3 near his office by two club-wielding men. iSun Affairs, which is banned in mainland China, is known for its outspoken reporting on issues—including minority rights in Tibet and Xinjiang—that are deemed sensitive by the Chinese authorities. In January, the magazine carried an interview with Lew Mon-hung, a prominent former ally of Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying who accused Leung of lying to the media about a scandal involving illegal construction at his home, among other allegations. Chen suggested at a June 5 press conference that the attack, which caused injuries to his head, chest, and arms, was orchestrated by Chinese authorities. “Maybe I offended a few people in the Chinese Communist Party regime,” he said. On May 23, iSun Affairs had announced that it was suspending its print edition, which debuted in October 2012 (see CMB No. 72). Chen denied being put under political pressure himself, but said several of the magazine’s editors and reporters had been summoned for questioning by Chinese police (see CMB No. 86).

* Epoch Times 6/10/2013: Prominent Hong Kong media owner, Chen Ping, beaten in street
* South China Morning Post 6/5/2013: Assault of publisher is attack on press freedom, says iSun Affairs magazine
* South China Morning Post 6/3/2013: iSun Affairs publisher Chen Ping beaten by baton-wielding thugs
* iSunAffairs 6/7/2013 (in Chinese): iSun Affairs publisher Chen Ping assault incident press conference Q&A

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BEYOND CHINA

U.S. sets SoftBank-Sprint merger terms with Huawei concerns in mind

The U.S. telecommunications provider Sprint announced on May 29 that it had reached an agreement with the government to assuage security concerns surrounding the company’s planned $20 billion takeover by Tokyo-based SoftBank and both firms’ use of network equipment made by China’s Huawei (see CMB No. 84). Under the agreement, Sprint must form a four-member committee to focus on national security issues at the company, including a board member, all of whom would need government approval. Sprint will also apparently be required to remove Huawei-supplied equipment from the network of its wireless affiliate, Clearwire, which Sprint is poised to acquire outright. The SoftBank-Sprint takeover still awaits approval from the Federal Communications Commission, and from Sprint shareholders, who are scheduled to vote on June 25. Sprint announced on June 7 that it would appoint Mike Mullen, a retired admiral and former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, to serve as its new national security director. The House Intelligence Committee had found in an October 2012 report that expansion into the United States by Huawei could further expose the country to electronic espionage due to the company’s close ties to the Chinese authorities. Several analysts noted that the degree of U.S. government involvement in the SoftBank-Sprint deal had set a new precedent and would likely cause other companies planning acquisitions to self-scrutinize the sources of their supply chain. In an interview with Bloomberg, Huawei spokesman William Plummer said the exclusion of his firm’s gear was a “non-remedy,” because the supply chains of all major global equipment vendors are subject to common global vulnerabilities.

* Bloomberg 5/29/2013: Huawei loser in SoftBank-Sprint deal over alleged spying
* Wall Street Journal 5/29/2013: SoftBank-Sprint deal clears security hurdle
* The Hill 6/7/2013: Mike Mullen to serve as Sprint security director
* Reuters 6/10/2013: SoftBank raises Sprint offer, shareholder vote delayed

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Little progress on cybersecurity, human rights at Obama-Xi summit

Less than two weeks before a two-day informal summit in California between U.S. president Barack Obama and Chinese president Xi Jinping, the Washington Post reported on May 27 that Chinese hackers had obtained sensitive design details for over two dozen crucial U.S. weapons systems, including missile defenses and fighter jets. Beijing continued to deny any involvement in such hacking while asserting that it too was a victim of cyberattacks (see CMB No. 84). Obama acknowledged that cybersecurity concerns would be among the main points of discussion during the June 7–8 summit, but later media reports indicated that little progress had been made. Although Obama reportedly told Xi privately that continued state-backed cybertheft was an “inhibitor” to the bilateral relationship, the U.S. leader softened his language in a statement to the press following the summit, downplaying the Chinese government’s connection to hacking and noting that computer breaches often involved “nonstate actors.” Human rights issues, including China’s censorship system, appeared to be low on the agenda, though Obama said at a press conference before the meeting that he would “continue to emphasize the importance of human rights.” Freedom House joined several other groups and prominent individuals in publishing a joint letter to Obama on June 5, urging him to ask for the release of 16 well-known prisoners of conscience in China. Beijing’s actions surrounding the summit sent mixed signals regarding human rights. In what some described as a minor concession before the meeting, China granted passports to the brother and mother of blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng, who is currently in exile in the United States. However, within hours of the California meeting’s conclusion, a Chinese court sentenced Liu Hui, the brother-in-law of jailed democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, to 11 years in prison for fraud after what was widely perceived as a politically motivated prosecution (see CMB No. 86).

* Washington Post 5/27/2013: Confidential report lists U.S. weapons system designs compromised by Chinese cyberspies
* Xinhua 5/30/2013: Hacking accusations erroneous: Chinese defense spokesman
* NBC 6/7/2013: Obama takes diplomatic tack on Chinese cyberespionage charges
* China Digital Times 6/8/2013: Obama, Xi discuss climate change and cybersecurity
* Freedom House 6/5/2013: Letter to President Obama calls for release of Chinese prisoners of conscience
* White House Office of the Press Secretary 6/07/2013: Remarks by President Obama and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China before bilateral meeting
* New York Times 6/07/2013: 2 relatives of dissident get passports from China
* Reuters 6/07/2013: Cyber disputes loom large as Obama meets China’s Xi
* Guardian 6/09/2013: Liu Xiaobo brother-in-law jailed

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Chinese diplomats harass French journalist, TV station after Tibet report

The French television news outlet France 24 has reported that both the station and one of its journalists were harassed and threatened by Chinese diplomats after it aired a brief documentary titled “Seven Days in Tibet.” The piece, which journalist Cyril Payen filmed undercover during a seven-day visit to Tibet on a tourist visa (as journalists are barred from the region), was aired on May 30. It included footage of security cameras, a heightened police presence, and local Tibetans complaining about the lack of freedom (see CMB No. 71). Soon after, Chinese embassy officials in Paris allegedly went to France 24’s headquarters and met with its chief executive, Marc Saikali. They were said to have denounced the documentary and demanded that it be removed from the station’s website. France 24 refused. According to Reporters Without Borders, on June 4, Payen, who was travelling in Bangkok, received a phone call from the Chinese embassy in Thailand that urged him to come for a meeting as soon as possible. When Payen said he would only agree to meet at a hotel, the Chinese diplomats rejected the offer, and Payen reportedly received dozens of anonymous calls and text messages over the following days, some of which were overtly threatening. One message demanded that he meet at the embassy that day or else “take the responsibility” for the consequences. Over the past two years, foreign correspondents in China have faced increasing assaults and threats of visa denials (see CMB No. 82). In addition, Chinese diplomats have repeatedly sought to curb artistic expression at foreign film festivals, book fairs, or small exhibits (see, inter alia, CMB Nos. 54, 62, 68), and occasionally pressure news outlets outside China to halt reports that are critical of Chinese rule in Tibet or address other sensitive topics, although such interference ostensibly violates diplomatic protocols.

* Reporters Without Borders 6/11/2013: Chinese diplomats threaten French journalist after Tibet report
* France 24 6/12/2013: China intimidates France 24 reporter over Tibet film
* China Digital Times 5/21/2013: France 24: Seven days in Tibet

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Chinese president and first lady woo Latin American media
 
On May 31, Chinese president Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, began a three-nation Latin American tour, with stops in Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Before the trip, Xi gave an interview in Beijing that was provided to media in the three countries, some of which published it in full (see CMB No. 49). In Mexico, the media’s reaction to Xi was largely positive, but his wife—a popular former folk singer and fluent speaker of English—appeared more successful in winning over local journalists (see CMB No. 83), who commented on her choice of clothing and affinity for Spanish-language soap operas, as well as her trips to venues like the Mexican broadcaster Televisa, a children’s hospital, and Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. Back home, after a photo of Peng using an iPhone 5 to take photographs of the ruins went viral on Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo, the site began censoring searches for terms and phrases relating to the incident, including “Peng + cell phone,” “Peng + apple,” and “first lady + iPhone.” The photo was apparently considered sensitive because of the irony of Peng’s implied endorsement of the U.S. technology firm Apple, which has suffered repeated attacks by Chinese state media in recent months (see CMB No. 87).
 
* Xinhua 5/31/2013: President Xi Jinping gives a joint written interview to the media of Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico
* TNT Finder 5/31/2013: China’s Xi: ‘Friend afar brings distant land near’
* Telegraph 6/02/2013: China’s first lady Peng Liyuan steals the show in Latin America 
* International Business Times 6/7/2013: Xi Jinping leaves Mexico; Mexican media react to China’s president visit
* South China Morning Post 6/06/2013: Peng Liyuan charms Mexico with her fondness for local soap operas
* China.org.cn 6/05/2013: Peng Liyuan visits children’s hospital in Mexico
* China Digital Times 6/09/2013: Sensitive Words: Peng Liyuan’s iPhone and more

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 89: June 27, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Official media trumpet Xi’s party discipline campaign
* State media make hay of Snowden revelations
* Investigative journalist found dead, two others held on bribe charges
* Online corruption scandals countered with punishments, propaganda
* Chinese censors mute news of Taiwanese bookstore launch in Shanghai

Photo of the Week: The Communist Party's Got Talent

Credit: CCTV

OTHER HEADLINES
* Netizens cheer Snowden as party seeks to control message
* New microblog censorship approach reported
* As Tibet surveillance grows tighter, party scholar urges policy change
* Tibetan singers sentenced to prison, blogger Woeser under house arrest
* Phones, internet cut after Xinjiang violence, Uighurs jailed for online ‘extremism’
* Cyberspying on Chen Guangcheng reported, NYU departure debated

Printable Version

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

Announcement: On June 27, Freedom House research analyst Madeline Earp testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission about the status of press freedom in Hong Kong. Her testimony, including the newly released Hong Kong country report from Freedom of the Press 2013, is available here.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Official media trumpet Xi’s party discipline campaign

State media have amplified Chinese president Xi Jinping’s recent revival of the “mass line,” a concept associated with the Mao Zedong era that calls for the Communist Party to remain close to the masses. At a high-level conference in Beijing on June 18, Xi launched a year-long Mass Line Education campaign that had been planned since at least April. The top-down ideological initiative to discipline officials will include study sessions, self-criticism, and propaganda. Xi urged the party to embrace the mass line and combat four evil trends—formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and waste—while telling cadres to “look in the mirror, tidy your attire, take a bath, and seek remedies.” Several observers noted that it had been almost a decade since such an internal “rectification” campaign had been mounted, with some speculating that part of its aim was to purge political opponents within the party’s ranks. As with previous rollouts of Xi’s signature slogans (see CMB No. 84), state-run news outlets echoed his remarks in a series of articles and features, while state broadcaster China Central Television repeatedly aired footage of Xi’s speech. The Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily published a commentary on June 18, arguing that “the mass line, or furthering ties with the people, is the lifeline of the Party.” Also that day, a website on the concept of the mass line was launched, including versions in minority languages such as Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Uighur. On June 20, the official Xinhua news agency announced the publication of two books on the mass line by the Party History Research Center. According to Xinhua, the books include remarks on the concept by communist figures ranging from Karl Marx and Mao to present-day Chinese leaders. In another sign that the leadership was attempting to enforce ideological discipline (see CMB No. 88), the State Council Information Office issued a directive on June 19 that ordered website administrators to remove content that either criticizes Mao or praises him excessively, for example by glorifying the radicalism of his Cultural Revolution. Xi has argued against rejecting Mao, but he also appears to oppose the more zealous Maoist revivalism associated with former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai, who was purged in 2012 and is currently facing criminal charges (see CMB No. 79). Nevertheless, the new emphasis on the mass line is in keeping with Xi’s related efforts to combat the party’s reputation for corruption and arrogance and to prepare the regime for potentially disruptive economic reforms in the coming months.

* Xinhua 6/18/2013: Xi: Upcoming CPC campaign a ‘thorough cleanup’ of undesirable practices
* Wall Street Journal 6/21/2013: What to make of Xi Jinping’s Maoist turn
* People’s Daily 6/18/2013 (in Chinese): The mass line is the ruling life line
* Time 6/21/2013: Party like it’s the 1960s: China resurrects Mao-era slogans and autos
* Financial Times 6/20/2013: China’s Communist party takes page from Mao’s playbook
* China Digital Times 6/20/2013: Ministry of Truth: Snowden, Mao, scandal, pageants (correction)
* Xinhua 6/20/2013: Books on ‘mass line,’ thrift published

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State media make hay of Snowden revelations

After an initial period of silence, Chinese state media since June 12 have reported widely about former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked classified information on U.S. electronic surveillance programs and sought refuge in Hong Kong for almost two weeks before departing on a flight for Russia on June 23. Amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over China’s alleged cyberespionage and theft of industrial secrets, Snowden’s revelations of large-scale American surveillance and hacking of servers in China and Hong Kong have reinforced Chinese officials’ claims that their country is a victim, rather than a perpetrator, of cyberattacks. According to David Bandurski at the China Media Project, only one story on the Snowden affair—which broke on June 5—had appeared in a search of Chinese newspapers and newswires as of June 10. However, by June 13, Chinese news outlets had swung into action, producing dozens of reports. The surge coincided with the publication of an exclusive Snowden interview by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, in which the former contractor charged that computers in China and Hong Kong had been among the targets of NSA monitoring. An editorial run by China Daily said it was not the first time the United States aroused public concern with its “wrongdoings.” The Communist Party–controlled Global Times on June 13 demanded an apology from Washington, adding that its online surveillance program aimed at foreign users, known as Prism, had turned millions of Chinese netizens into victims. Bandurski noted that state-run and commercial media outlets in China made liberal use of reporting by foreign sources, including the Wall Street Journal, Cable News Network (CNN), and Voice of America. The practice highlighted the selective enforcement of regulations issued in April to limit Chinese media’s use of foreign sources (see CMB No. 85). State media launched another round of praise for Snowden and criticism of the United States after the American left for Russia with an apparent green light from Beijing, which drew vocal condemnation from Washington, and in the wake of two additional reports from the South China Morning Post on alleged U.S. hacking of computers at the prestigious Tsinghua University and Chinese mobile-telephone records. A June 25 front-page editorial in the overseas version of the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily declared, “It was [Snowden’s] fearlessness that tore off Washington’s sanctimonious image.”

* China Media Project 6/13/2013: NSA case means open season on foreign news use
* Global Times 6/13/2013 (in Chinese): Editorial: Washington owes an explanation to netizens worldwide
* Time 6/13/2013: Beijing reacts to Snowden claims U.S. hacked ‘hundreds’ of Chinese targets
* NPR 6/18/2013: ‘It’s Christmas in June’: China revels in NSA leaks story
* South China Morning Post 6/13/2013: Whistle-blower Edward Snowden talks to South China Morning Post
* South China Morning Post 6/14/2013: Edward Snowden: US government has been hacking Hong Kong and China for years
* Los Angeles Times 6/25/2013: China defends its handling of Edward Snowden case
* New Yorker 6/24/2013: Why China let Snowden go
* Reuters 6/25/2013: China and U.S. war over Snowden, but no lasting damage seen

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Investigative journalist found dead, two others held on bribe charges

Liu Qi, a reporter at Chengdu-based Commercial Times, was found dead outside a hotel in Wusheng County, Sichuan Province, on June 23, a day after he submitted an investigative article about a toxic waste spill. People’s Daily Online reported that police were not treating Liu’s apparent fall from the hotel building as a suspicious death, adding that Liu had been staying in a room on the second floor. Netizens called for a full investigation, expressing skepticism about the police assessment. One wrote, “He died [after falling] from the second floor?!” Users on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo said Liu’s pollution exposé had likely angered the authorities, and many linked the incident to other controversial cases, such as that of labor rights activist Li Wangyang, in which individuals were deemed to have committed suicide, often while in police custody (see CMB No. 65). In an effort to prevent false suicide claims in the event of their own deaths, many activists have vowed online that they would never commit suicide. Separately, two journalists with the Nanfang Media Group in Guangdong Province were ensnared in a bribery case that also raised suspicions of retaliation for investigative reporting. On June 22, local prosecutors in Shaoguan announced that the reporters, Liu Wei’an and Hu Yazhu, had confessed to taking bribes. Liu was arrested on June 5, and Hu was taken into custody on June 21. Both had written stories related to a land-seizure case and the illegal exploitation of rare-earth minerals, potentially angering local authorities. An open statement written by Hu, citing pressure from his employer and the Shaoguan government, was widely circulated on Weibo, fueling speculation that the two journalists were being punished for their work.

* Central News Agency 6/23/2013 (in Chinese): Chengdu ‘Commercial Times’ reporter mysteriously dies after falling off a building
* Radio Free Asia 6/24/2013: Calls for probe into Chinese journalist’s death
* Global Times 6/25/2013: Nanfang group reporters took bribes, claim prosecutors
* Boxun 6/23/2013 (in Chinese): Nanfang Daily reporter Hu Yazhu, Liu Wei'an charged for bribery

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Netizens cheer Snowden as party seeks to control message

Discussion on the popular Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo of former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and his revelations of extensive electronic surveillance by the U.S. government was initially limited to technology enthusiasts and close followers of political affairs. However, after Chinese state media and news websites began covering the story in mid-June (see above), the internet lit up with debate over Snowden’s role and the spying practices he exposed. Over one million comments had been posted by June 24, according to the Wall Street Journal. Netizens expressed diverse opinions, ranging from acknowledgment of their own government’s surveillance to concerns over the wisdom of Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping, using an iPhone given the allegations that its U.S. manufacturer, Apple, was part of the American online surveillance program. A majority of netizens favored Snowden. A survey conducted on Sina Weibo indicated that 78 percent of participants viewed him as a “freedom fighter.” One netizen defended Snowden’s actions, writing, “Doing this proves he genuinely cares about this country and about his country’s citizens.” Others expressed disappointment in the U.S. government’s violation of civil liberties, with one joking, “It looks like Obama has been assimilated by a certain political party,” referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Another microblogger questioned what would have happened if Snowden had tried to do something similar in China. “I’m guessing he would have been killed in a car accident, or died of carbon monoxide poisoning, or something along those lines.” As the story gained momentum, the propaganda authorities tried to control its spread. According to China Digital Times, the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department issued a directive on June 19 that banned major web portals from running independent reports or placing the story on their homepages. They were told to remove existing articles and guide public opinion in a direction of “strengthening confidence in the socialist path.” They were also instructed to use the official Xinhua news agency’s articles and to republish a People’s Daily commentary as a headline story, highlighted in red and boldfaced.

* Tea Leaf Nation 6/11/2013: Chinese web users react to PRISM: The end of the affair with Google and Apple?
* ABC News 6/14/2013: NSA leaker Snowden is ‘handsome’ hero in China
* CNN 6/11/2013: Chinese internet users back Snowden, call on government to ‘protect’ him
* Wall Street Journal 6/10/2013: A hero’s welcome for Snowden on Chinese internet
* China Digital Times 6/20/2013: Ministry of Truth: Snowden, Mao, scandal, pageants
* Wall Street Journal 6/24/2013: On Chinese social media, ambivalence over Snowden

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New microblog censorship approach reported

A June 21 article from online magazine Tea Leaf Nation added to growing evidence that the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo is experimenting with new censorship methods (see CMB No. 88). The article describes an apparent change in which searches for politically sensitive keywords—including “June 4,” a reference to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre—now yield sanitized results, rather than simply being blocked as before or being intermittently unblocked. The shift essentially makes censorship less obvious and increases the difficulty of monitoring the constantly changing “red lines” enforced by the authorities. Meanwhile, users who are based overseas, or who employ circumvention tools to evade blocks on foreign sites, receive a “reset connection error” message and a two-minute timeout when they search for sensitive keywords. Other forms of online censorship have continued in recent weeks. Sina Weibo administrators removed posts that mocked a June 7–8 summit between U.S. president Barack Obama and Chinese president Xi Jinping, including one that paired a photograph of the two leaders with an oddly similar image of cartoon characters Tigger and Winnie the Pooh. Separately, propaganda officials allegedly issued media directives ordering the restriction of online information on topics including a controversial fraud case and a rumored merger between the unpopular party-backed search engines Jike and Panguso.

* Tea Leaf Nation 6/21/2013: Weibo keyword un-blocking is not a victory against censorship
* Telegraph 6/14/2013: Chinese censors target Winnie the Pooh and Tigger
* China Media Project 6/13/2013: Rest assured, Mr. Xi
* China Digital Times 6/24/2013: Ministry of Truth: Real estate fraud cover-up
* China Digital Times 6/19/2013: Ministry of Truth: search engines, sex scandals

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Online corruption scandals countered with punishments, propaganda

The Chinese authorities have taken various measures in response to three cases of official corruption, abuse of power, and criminality that were the focus of online outcries in recent weeks (see CMB No. 87). On June 19, state media reported that a former Communist Party official in Henan Province had been executed for raping 11 underage girls, one of several child-abuse scandals involving government officials that have sparked outrage among internet users. Separately, the official Xinhua news agency announced on June 16 that a 34-year-old party official in Hunan Province had been removed from her post after suspicions emerged on social-media sites that her promotion at an unusually young age was a result of the clout of her father, a prominent retired official in the area. Meanwhile, according to the overseas website Duowei, a directive from the party’s Central Propaganda Department instructed top Chinese internet companies to censor any discussions about a scandal involving a former deputy director at the State Archives. The incident erupted on June 14, when the man’s 25-year-old mistress posted explicit photographs and video recordings of their four-year relationship, claiming he spent $1.5 million on her, a sum far beyond what his government salary could provide. According to the New York Times, one by-product of such internet-fueled scandals is an increasingly lucrative industry of blackmail and extortion targeting officials for their real or fabricated misdeeds. In March, officials in Hunan Province launched a banner and billboard campaign calling for a “people’s war against blackmail crimes using Photoshopped obscene pictures.” Separately, state media have produced a series of news stories and television programs aimed at improving the image of Communist Party officials. On June 13, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) premiered a reality show called Search for the Most Beautiful Village Cadre, in which the 10 best Communist Party workers will be selected from a group of 320. According to the Epoch Times, contestants will be judged on five criteria: “meeting the common standard of morality, not being corrupt, improving the environment, being innovative, and finally, following the current communist social-economic ideology.”

* Reuters 6/19/2013: China executes party official for child rapes after online uproar
* Xinhua 6/16/2013: Central China official removed after public outcry
* Xinhua 6/1/2013: Female official’s ‘rocketing promotions’ under probe
* South China Morning Post 6/18/2013: Party accused of covering up official’s lavish lifestyle
* Want Daily 6/19/2013: Party orders censorship of China’s latest sex scandal
* China Digital Times 6/21/2013: Sensitive Words: Fang Yue’s affair with Ji Yingnan
* New York Times 6/18/2013: True or faked, dirt on Chinese fuels blackmail
* Epoch Times 6/17/2013: Reality TV and compliments to cadres is party’s reply to scandals

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TIBET & XINJIANG

As Tibet surveillance grows tighter, party scholar urges policy change

The state-run Xinhua news agency reported on June 19 that authorities had completed the real-name registration of all telecommunications users in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including more than 2.76 million landline and mobile-telephone users and 1.47 million internet users as of the end of 2012. Officials claimed that the requirement, enacted for the TAR in 2011, prevents the spread of “detrimental information,” including online rumors, pornography, and spam messages. However, it also facilitates the suppression of dissent. In a further effort to crack down on “subversive” Tibetans, at least 5,000 work teams comprising a total of more than 20,000 personnel are in the midst of a three-year political education campaign in rural Tibet, according to a June 19 report by Human Rights Watch. Under the “Solidify the Foundations, Benefit the Masses” campaign—which reportedly costs 1.48 billion yuan ($240 million) per year, more than one-fourth of the TAR’s annual budget—the authorities visit households and categorize villagers based on their political opinions. Interviewees cited in the report indicated that up to 500 villagers from one area, Nagchu Prefecture, were detained for “reeducation” in March this year. The campaign appears to work in tandem with a new “grid” system of neighborhood surveillance in more urban areas (see CMB No. 84). Even as Beijing’s policies in Tibet grow ever more repressive, a prominent Chinese scholar has called for a “creative” new approach that would make a clearer distinction between religious practice and expressions of Tibetan culture on the one hand, and political subversion on the other. Jin Wei, the director of ethnic and religious studies at the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Party School, made her argument in a June 9 interview with Hong Kong–based Asia Weekly magazine, and urged Beijing to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader. The fact that Jin felt comfortable publicizing her views suggested that there was some high-level support for such policies within the party.

* Radio Free Asia 6/19/2013: Chinese rural campaign out to ‘gather intelligence’ on Tibetans
* Reuters 6/19/2013: China completes internet, phone monitoring scheme for Tibet
* Xinhua 6/19/2013: Tibet accomplishes real-name registration of web, phone users
* Human Rights Watch 6/19/2013: China: ‘Benefit the masses’ campaign surveilling Tibetans
* Economist 6/22/2013: Grid locked 
* Economist 6/22/2013: Bold new proposals
* Asia Weekly 6/9/2013 (in Chinese): Central party school ethnic and religious studies director Jin Wei urges rethinking of Tibet issue
* Radio Free Asia 6/24/2013 (in Chinese): Hu Ping: Analysis on talks by Professor Jin Wei

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Tibetan singers sentenced to prison, blogger Woeser under house arrest

Two Tibetan singers have been sentenced to two years in prison after releasing recordings of songs about ongoing self-immolation protests, the Dali Lama, and Chinese policies in Tibet, according to the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, which initially reported the story on June 13. The two singers, Pema Trinley and Chakdor, from Ngaba (Aba) County, Sichuan Province, were detained in July 2012, a few days after their album, The Agony of Unhealed Wounds, was released. They were sentenced in secret in February 2013, and their current location is unknown. Two other musicians who collaborated on the album have also disappeared. At least 120 Tibetans have self-immolated to protest Chinese rule since 2009, including a nun who self herself on fire on June 11 during a large religious gathering in Sichuan Province, reportedly prompting the authorities to cut off all telephone and internet connections to the area. In a separate incident, Tibetan writer and activist Tsering Woeser announced on her blog on June 20 that she and her husband had been detained and placed under house arrest in Beijing the previous day. She said the move was intended to prevent her from speaking to foreign journalists before they depart on a state-sponsored junket to Tibet scheduled for early July. Woeser and her husband, writer Wang Lixiong, have repeatedly faced restrictions on their freedom of movement in recent years (see, inter alia, CMB Nos. 49, 82).

* Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy 6/13/2013: Two Tibetan singers secretly sentenced but whereabouts unknown
* Phayul 6/13/2013: China sentences two Tibetan singers
* RTT News 6/20/2013: Tibetan singers jailed after releasing songs about self-immolation, Dalai Lama
* Radio Free Asia 6/11/2013: Tibetan nun sets herself ablaze in new self-immolation protest
* Phayul 6/21/2013: China again puts Tibetan writer Woeser under house arrest
* Radio Free Asia 6/20/2013: Tibetan writer Woeser again placed under house arrest

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Phones, internet cut after Xinjiang violence, Uighurs jailed for online ‘extremism’

With the fourth anniversary of the July 5, 2009, ethnic riots in Xinjiang approaching, tensions in the region have been increasing dramatically. An outbreak of violence in Turpan Prefecture on June 26 killed a reported 35 people as police clashed with protesters, apparently prompting authorities to cut off internet and telephone lines to the area. The unrest came amid a crackdown on alleged extremism ahead of the anniversary, with many individuals punished based on their internet activity and media consumption (see CMB No. 84). The official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Justice, Legal Daily, published two articles on June 20 that reported the convictions of a total of 25 Uighur defendants. Several of them were found guilty of engaging in various ideological crimes via the internet, including visiting illicit websites and using electronic media to promote “ethnic hatred and discrimination” and “terrorism.” Defendant Alim Memet received the harshest sentence, 13 years of incarceration, for duplicating and sharing by mobile telephone, as well as uploading onto a microblog, audio files that reportedly encouraged jihad and extremist religious views. Restrictions on human rights monitors and journalists in Xinjiang make independent verification of such accusations difficult. However, the Chinese government’s track record of conflating nonviolent political and religious expression with promotion of terrorism raises concerns that at least some of those sentenced are being punished for peaceful expression of their views.

* BBC 6/26/2013 (in Chinese): Xinjiang Turpan riots kill 27 people
* Xinhua 6/27/2013: Rioters kill 24 in Xinjiang
* Guardian 6/20/2013: China jails Uighurs for online ‘extremism’
* Legal Daily 6/20/2013 (in Chinese): Xinjiang authorities process criminal cases related to internet and illegal religious activities
* Legal Daily 6/20/2013 (in Chinese): Xinjiang authorities process multiple cases involving mobile devices
* Uyghur Human Rights Project 6/20/2013: Harsh sentencing of Uyghurs sends message of fear before fourth anniversary of July 5, 2009 unrest

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BEYOND CHINA

Chinese censors mute news of Taiwanese bookstore launch in Shanghai

After the popular Taiwan-based bookstore chain Eslite announced on June 19 that it planned to open a branch in Shanghai, Chinese authorities sent out a media directive the next day that banned reporting on the news. The order from the Shanghai Municipal Propaganda Department was sent as a mobile-telephone text message to senior editors at several major news outlets in the city. There was some speculation that the Chinese government was concerned about the political background of certain executives at the Taiwanese company, or the types of books it might sell in Shanghai, but an Eslite representative stressed that publications banned by the authorities would not be available at its mainland locations. News of the media directive surfaced on the same day that the Taiwanese government signed a new trade pact with China. Under the latest cross-strait agreement, investors from each country would be reportedly able to hold minority stakes as part of joint ventures in the other’s printing industry. Taiwanese negotiators did not move further in lifting trade barriers in the publishing sector due to concerns among Taiwanese companies that Chinese investors would eventually have free rein in Taiwan—with all the potential influence on content that entails—whereas Taiwanese firms would continue to face government restrictions in China.

* South China Morning Post 6/21/2013: Taiwan bookstore chain Eslite’s Shanghai plans in doubt after censors order blackout
* CNN 6/21/2013: China closes book on Taiwan’s top bookstore
* Taipei Times 6/23/2013: Service pact: Ministry seeking to mollify publishers
* Ministry of Economic Affairs 6/21/2013 (in Chinese): Clarification on policy advisor Rex How’s concerns regarding ECFA

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Cyberspying on Chen Guangcheng reported, NYU departure debated

Amid news of the departure of blind, self-taught lawyer and activist Chen Guangcheng from New York University (NYU), which had offered him a one-year fellowship in May 2012 after he fled extralegal house arrest in China, Reuters reported that Chen’s communications devices, including his tablet computer and smartphone, were found to have spyware installed. In a June 21 article, Jerome Cohen, an NYU law professor who had been Chen’s mentor, confirmed with Reuters that NYU technicians had discovered the suspicious software soon after Chen arrived in New York. The devices were given to Chen by the wife of Bob Fu, a well-known activist who runs the Texas-based religious rights group ChinaAid and had arranged Chen’s escape from China along with Cohen. The programs found on the computer and smartphone allegedly allowed surreptitious observers to track the devices’ physical movements and back up their data to a remote server. Fu said the machines contained no spyware when they left ChinaAid, and Reuters cited a source who said at least three separate devices given to Chen and his wife by other people were also found to have suspicious software, suggesting that the technology could have been hacked by a third party. It remained unclear whether the Chinese authorities were responsible, but cases of exiled dissidents being monitored by Beijing are not unusual. The revelations about the spyware came as observers continued to argue over Chen’s June 16 assertion that his departure from NYU was partly due to Beijing’s “unrelenting pressure” on the school. University officials denied the claim, and a number of experts came to NYU’s defense, though in many cases they acknowledged that the Chinese government was exerting a broader and more subtle influence on scholars and universities in the United States, encouraging self-censorship through various partnerships. Separately, on June 23, Chen arrived in Taiwan for an 18-day tour hosted by the Taiwan Association for China Human Rights. Censors at the popular Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo removed posts of media coverage of his trip, during which he contrasted Taiwan’s democracy and relatively free press with ongoing repression in China (see CMB No. 79).

* Reuters 6/21/2013: Exclusive: Spyware claims emerge in row over Chinese dissident at NYU
* China Media Project 6/24/2013: Post deleted on Chen Guangcheng visit to Taiwan
* Time 6/25/2013: Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng on freedom, surveillance and speaking out
* China Digital Times 6/21/2013: Chen Guangcheng case widens political rift
* China Digital Times 6/18/2013: Chen Guangcheng, NYU and academic freedom

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China 

Issue No. 90: July 25, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Education campaigns stoke indoctrination fears in China, Hong Kong
* Online antigraft activists and muckrakers face violence, arrest, censorship
* Fruit vendor’s fatal beating spurs online outcry, censorship
* Chinese censors delete microblogs of Japanese newspaper
* Freedom House report finds internet controls advancing under new leadership

Photo of the Week: One Murder, 500 Million Witnesses

Credit: China Digital Times

OTHER HEADLINES
* Chinese directors skeptical of reduced film censorship rules
* Yunnan police officer dismissed after threatening journalists
* Independent film school closed, filmmaker freed on bail
* Falun Gong adherents face trial for satellite dishes amid wider crackdown 
* Ministry adds teeth to real-name registration rule for telecom users
* Latest official statistics on Chinese internet users are released
* Sina’s microblog demerit system curbs ‘rumors’
* Hong Kong report cites press freedom decline, increased attacks under Leung 
* Scholar Perry Link reports on review of online censorship directives
 

Printable Version
 

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Chinese directors skeptical of reduced film censorship rules

China’s State Council announced on July 17 that the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SGAPPRFT) would remove 20 items from its list of oversight responsibilities in order to relax rules on film censorship. Among other changes, the regulator would no longer require the submission of screenplays and lists of equipment for review. Filmmakers would only need to submit a synopsis prior to shooting for films on “ordinary” topics, which were identified in the statement as anything besides “diplomacy, ethnic topics, religion, military, judiciary, historical figures, and cultural celebrities.” Several Chinese film directors reacted with skepticism. Jia Zhangke, who won the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival in May for his movie A Touch of Sin, said the definition of “ordinary” was vague and would ultimately be up to government censors. Despite the announcement, all finished products still require official approval for public screening in the country (see CMB No. 87).

* Guardian 7/19/2013: Chinese directors question promised reforms over censorship 
* Beijing Evening News 7/17/2013 (in Chinese): SGAPPRFT lifts censorship on films about ‘regular topics’ 
* Los Angeles Times 7/17/2013: China says it’ll relax film, TV censorship; directors unimpressed 

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Education campaigns stoke indoctrination fears in China, Hong Kong

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to promote President Xi Jinping’s “China Dream” slogan to reinforce the ruling ideology, orchestrating presentations and disseminating educational materials across the country (see CMB No. 84). On July 15, the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Education, and the Central Communist Youth League released a recommended list of 200 books, movies, and television shows for the nation’s young students. According to the announcement, the objective was to “deeply and thoroughly realize the spirit of the Party’s 18th National Congress, to strongly promote the national spirit and the spirit of the age among the youth, and to encourage all youth to fight to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” The list, which included titles such as Stories of Marx, China Has a Mao Zedong, and Zhou Enlai: The Early Years, was posted on popular Chinese web portals. Many users accused the government of attempting to brainwash children. Former Google China chief Kai-fu Lee, whose microblogging account has over 49 million followers, wrote that he had recommended a list of titles more suitable for children but was rebuffed by the authorities. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong on July 10, independent media began reporting residents’ objections to a new comic-book-style Primary Student Handbook of the Basic Law of Hong Kong that was being distributed in primary schools. The 62-page booklet frequently wanders from the subject of the Basic Law and contains CCP-style nationalist rhetoric, stating for instance that the territory’ handover to China in 1997 had “washed away the shame” of British rule, and that bringing Taiwan under Beijing’s control is “a sacred mission.” The new handout was seen as part of the central government’s alleged efforts to introduce a pro-CCP curriculum in Hong Kong. In September 2012, tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents had protested against a mandatory national education curriculum, which was eventually shelved due to the intense pushback (see CMB No. 71). 

* USA Today 7/21/2013: Party propagandists impose ‘China Dream’ on skeptical public 
* Tea Leaf Nation 7/16/2013: China’s Propaganda Department rolls out recommended reading list, parents reject ‘brainwashing’ books 
* Radio Free Asia 7/11/2013: Party-backed Hong Kong textbook sparks brainwashing fears 
* South China Morning Post 7/10/2013: Comic book for students raises indoctrination fears among parents 
* Standard 7/11/2013: Brainwashing rears its head 

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Yunnan police officer dismissed after threatening journalists

A news crew with the Yunnan-based Kunming Television Station was threatened by a plainclothes police officer at the scene of a traffic accident in Kunming City on July 12. The official Xinhua news agency reported that the three-member team was confronted by the officer, identified as Tan Liyong, as they filmed at the site of the collision, in which Tan’s vehicle was flipped. The officer was allegedly driving while intoxicated, though he initially denied that he had consumed alcohol as he tried to stop the cameraman from recording his license plate. After several failed attempts, he smashed the crew’s equipment and pointed a knife at them, shouting, “I can kick you to death tonight.” After the television station reported the incident, Kunming’s Public Security Bureau announced on July 15 that Tan had been dismissed from duty. Physical and verbal assaults on journalists are not unusual in China, though punishment of the perpetrators is. While some assaults are committed directly by government officials, many cases involve unidentified thugs hired by officials or businessmen seeking revenge for investigative reports that uncover wrongdoing (see CMB No. 88).

* Committee to Protect Journalists 7/16/2013: Police officer accused of threatening Chinese journalist 
* Xinhua 7/15/2013 (in Chinese): Yunnan plainclothes police officer threatens reporter 
* Yunnan Net 7/15/2013 (in Chinese): Yunnan plainclothes police who threatened journalist with knife dismissed from position and put under investigation according to official reports 

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Independent film school closed, filmmaker freed on bail

Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) reported on July 14 that the Chinese authorities had recently raided and shut down Li Xianting Film School, a Beijing-based independent filmmaking institution. In an interview with Radio Free Asia, a school employee said students were forcibly taken to a guesthouse before being sent back to their hometowns. The school and the affiliated Beijing Independent Film Festival (BIFF) have frequently encountered official harassment, as their documentaries sometimes address social topics that are deemed sensitive by the authorities (see CMB No. 37). On the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo, students and alumni protested the school’s shutdown, and teachers and students reportedly resumed their work in an undisclosed location in Hebei Province. As part of the authorities’ broader crackdown on independent filmmakers, police had detained journalist Du Bin in Beijing in May (see CMB No. 88). He had recently released a documentary film about the notorious Masanjia reeducation-through-labor camp as well as a book about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Du, who had previously worked as a freelance photographer for the New York Times, was released on bail on July 8. He told the British Broadcasting Corporation that he was interrogated about both the book and the documentary. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Du’s name was censored on Sina Weibo to silence discussion about his release.

* Radio Netherlands Worldwide 7/14/2013: Independent thinking ‘not encouraged’ in China’s film schools 
* Radio Free Asia 7/19/2013: Police raid cutting-edge film school in Beijing 
* China Digital Times 8/22/2012: Netizen voices: Power cut at indie film fest 
* South China Morning Post 7/9/2013: Independent filmmaker Du Bin released on bail in Beijing 
* BBC 7/9/2013: China releases journalist Du Bin from detention 
* Committee to Protect Journalists 7/11/2013: Chinese journalist released but restrictions remain 

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Falun Gong adherents face trial for satellite dishes amid wider crackdown 

As many as 13 people in Dalian, Liaoning Province, are facing trial for distributing and installing satellite dishes, according to overseas Falun Gong sources, media reports, and human rights lawyers. The group consists of practitioners of the banned Falun Gong spiritual discipline who were arrested in July 2012 and are being defended by a team of prominent human rights lawyers. The attorneys have sought to argue that accessing information via satellite is a legally protected right. The case initially gained international attention in April when Cheng Hai, one of the lawyers, was beaten by police after being detained in front of a courthouse in Dalian. A trial was reportedly scheduled to be held on June 21 at Dalian Xigang Court, but three of the detainees displayed signs of badly deteriorated health, apparently due to abuse in detention, prompting the court to postpone the trial. It was subsequently set for July 5, but the lawyers were not given the required three days’ notice and refused to attend. In what the lawyers described as a victory, the trial did not go forward in their absence. The case is unfolding amid a broader crackdown on unauthorized satellite receivers, estimated to number 50 to 60 million. Posts on Chinese government websites in Jiangsu and Nanjing and reporting by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post point to a crackdown on satellite receivers that was launched in May 2012 and has continued in 2013. The apparent aim is to limit the sale and installation of small dishes, often referred to as “little ears” or “woks,” that are used to view major international channels like the U.S.-based Cable News Network (CNN) or the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)—typically limited to hotels visited by foreigners—as well as programming by New Tang Dynasty TV, a New York–based station run by Falun Gong practitioners that frequently reports on party infighting and human rights abuses in China. In January 2013, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reported on a similar crackdown on satellite receivers in Tibetan regions of Qinghai Province. 

* Free iNews 7/3/2013: Dalian 13 tried for setting up satellite dishes 
* NTDTV 7/13/2012: Dalian police arrests dozens for installing NTD satellite dishes  
* Reuters 4/12/2013: Lawyer for Falun Gong believers says assaulted by Chinese police  
* Radio Free Asia 4/12/2013 (in Chinese): Rights defender Cheng Hai detained and beaten by police in Dalian 
* NTDTV 7/4/2013 (in Chinese): Defense lawyers reject Dalian court hearing for satellite case  
* Epoch Times 6/24/2013: Police obstruct lawyers in case of satellite dish installation 
* Satellite Internet Australia 5/28/2012: China’s untapped satellite broadcasting and dish market 
* South China Morning Post 7/31/2012: Little ears focus on mixed dish for access to satellite service 
* Dongtai Municipal Government 9/13/2012 (in Chinese): Live interview with municipal bureau of culture chief Zhang Yuanping 
* Nanjing Qixia Law Enforcement Office 5/23/2013 (in Chinese): Crackdown on satellite dishes launched in Cuilin villa
* Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy 1/29/2013: Crackdown on satellite dishes, broadcast equipment deepens in Tibet 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Online antigraft activists and muckrakers face violence, arrest, censorship

Communist Party leaders have vowed to crack down on graft, encouraging anticorruption efforts that go through official channels and sometimes punishing local bureaucrats in response to online exposés, but grassroots whistle-blowers and muckraking bloggers continue to face harsh reprisals from those they implicate as well as from the authorities. In one recent incident that garnered international attention, Guangdong Province netizen and whistle-blower Li Jianxin was brutally attacked by three men on July 9. The assailants rammed Li’s car from behind, poured acid on his face, and slashed him with knives. His six-year-old son was in the car with him at the time of the assault, which cost Li two fingers and one eye, among other permanent injuries. Using the online alias “Uncle Ou of Huiyang,” Li had reported evidence of corruption by local officials, including multiple members of a powerful family in Huiyang. Another recent case involved Xu Zhiyong, a well-known blogger, lawyer, and activist who founded the New Citizens Movement, which has called for senior officials to disclose their financial assets, among other reforms (see CMB Nos. 62, 86). Xu was arrested on July 16 for allegedly “gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place,” even though he had been under house arrest since April. If the charges are pursued, he could face several years in prison. A protest letter that was released online on July 23 and signed by over 400 prominent Chinese citizens demanded the release of Xu and other detained New Citizens Movement members. Xu’s name and related search terms were reportedly blocked on the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo in the days after his arrest. In a separate case, the various microblogs and websites of veteran corruption investigator Zhu Ruifeng were blocked or shut down on July 17 (see CMB No. 79). A microblogger allegedly writing on his behalf conveyed the message that he was safe, but that all of his social-media accounts had to take a “summer vacation.” Zhu is perhaps best known for unraveling a sex and extortion scheme involving Chongqing officials, but he had most recently been delving into the alleged night-club dalliances and bribe-taking of bureaucrat Fan Yue. Fan lost his position at the State Archives in June after his former mistress went online to expose their affair and related lavish spending (see CMB No. 89).

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China 

Issue No. 91: August 8, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* State media spin Bo Xilai indictment as part of anticorruption campaign 
* Journalist, activists detained as crackdown on antigraft movement widens 
* Peking University professor faces dismissal over online political comments
* Party officials mine online chatter as WeChat challenges Weibo dominance 
* China withholds payments to Hollywood studios in tax row

Photo of the Week: Too Much Excitement!

Credit: Reyoo

OTHER HEADLINES
* Regulator imposes new restrictions on TV singing contests
* Party outlets reject constitutionalism ahead of summer conclave 
* State media mistake satirical ‘Washington Post’ sale for fact 
* Online comment and deletion campaigns follow Bo Xilai indictment news
* Popular Chinese web portals join government to launch antirumor platform
* Authorities tighten restrictions on Dalai Lama photos, leaflets
* Hong Kong journalists attacked while covering protest
* Huawei’s telecom management in Africa spurs surveillance fears

Printable Version
 

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

Announcement: The China Media Bulletin will resume on September 5 after a one-issue hiatus.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

State media spin Bo Xilai indictment as part of anticorruption campaign

The Chinese authorities have taken heavy-handed measures to ensure a positive spin on news of the indictment of Bo Xilai, the former Chongqing Communist Party chief whose March 2012 ouster reportedly set off months of party infighting (see CMB No. 70). On July 25, the official Xinhua news agency and state broadcaster China Central Television issued terse announcements that Bo had been formally charged with “bribery, embezzlement, and power abuse” in indictment papers delivered to the Jinan Municipal People’s Intermediate Court in Shandong Province. Within minutes, state-run media and internet censors went into overdrive to ensure the dominance of the party line on the story. The well-orchestrated coverage primarily sought to cast Bo’s prosecution as an example of the new Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership’s anticorruption campaign (see below). In a widely reprinted article, People’s Daily said the party “has kept a solemn promise in front of the 1.3 billion Chinese people to catch high-ranking ‘tigers’ as well as low-ranking ‘flies,’” using terms popularized by President Xi Jinping. The reports tried to deflect attention from Bo’s political challenge to the central leadership, allegations that he had spied on senior officials, and reports of an attempted power grab, which many analysts believe is the real reason for his ouster. It remained unclear whether the charge of “abuse of power” would be applied to his possible involvement in the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Bo’s wife was found guilty of the crime in August 2012 (see CMB No. 67). Also absent from the coverage were references to allegations that Bo had overseen torture and abuse while governing Dalian and later Chongqing. On July 25, the Central Propaganda Department reportedly issued a directive ordering all media outlets to use Xinhua’s wire copy on the Bo case rather than conducting their own investigations. A review of the front pages of newspapers across the country by the Danwei blog confirmed the directive’s strict implementation, even by publications that are usually more daring. Papers in the cities of Chongqing and Dalian did not stray from the approved texts, adding no local details. Separately, Agence France-Presse reported that references to Bo were being systematically scrubbed from a local museum in Dalian whose opening he oversaw.

* Xinhua 7/25/2013: Bo Xilai charged with bribery, embezzlement, power abuse 
* South China Morning Post 7/26/2013: Media denounces Bo, urges party unity after charges filed 
* Danwei 7/26/2013: Bo Xilai indicted: ‘No-one is above the law’  
* China Digital Times 7/26/2013: Ministry of Truth: The Bo Xilai trial  
* China Digital Times 7/26/2013: Writing the official narrative on Bo Xilai 
* Agence France-Presse 8/5/2013: China expunges Bo’s once-stellar reputation  

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Regulator imposes new restrictions on TV singing contests

Despite their immense popularity among viewers, the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SGAPPRFT) on July 24 ordered television broadcasters to limit the quantity of singing contests. The new directives place limits on existing singing shows’ access to primetime slots, postpone the premiere dates of programs currently in postproduction, and effectively bar the development of any new singing competitions. Stations were also instructed to refrain from airing “extravagance, luxury, sensationalism, and flashy programming, as well as formats that cause too much excitement.” The SGAPPRFT explained that the regulations aimed to “avoid the monotony of television programs” and “provide more options for the audience.” High-budget talent shows such as The Voice of China, which premiered in 2012, had been popular topics on China’s leading social-media platform, Sina Weibo. The show broke viewership records and reportedly garnered over 2.6 billion online hits, prompting the emergence of copycat programs. Some Weibo users welcomed the SGAPPRFT’s new regulations, saying they were annoyed by an oversaturation of internet posts related to singing shows. But many expressed frustration with the regulator’s interference, and some pointed to the irony of its efforts to “avoid monotony” when all television stations are required to air the evening news program of state-run China Central Television (CCTV) at 7 p.m. For those working in the industry, the regulations were seen as a costly setback. “It really affects the competitiveness of my channel, since we took so much effort to create and prepare this show,” said Liu Yuzhe, an employee at a satellite station in Jiangsu. The government has issued a series of rules in recent years that restrict entertainment programs and impose costly prohibitions on provincial satellite television stations that compete with CCTV (see, inter alia, CMB Nos. 19, 38, 41, 67, 76).

* SARFT 7/24/2013: 对歌唱类选拔节目实行调控 为观众提供丰富多彩电视节目 [Control on singing contest shows provides more diverse content for audience] 
* People’s Daily 7/25/2013: Singing competition shows to be limited in amount 
* Atlantic 7/26/2013: Too popular for their own good: China restricts TV singing competitions 
* Wall Street Journal 7/30/2013: China cracks down on televised singing competitions 

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Party outlets reject constitutionalism ahead of summer conclave 

A series of commentaries published and promoted by state-run media over the past week have vigorously defended China’s one-party system while rejecting arguments by liberal intellectuals—and possibly some Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders—that reforms acknowledging the primacy of the constitution should be instituted. Citizen demands for the genuine enforcement of rights guaranteed in the Chinese constitution had spawned a similar series of editorials by CCP-affiliated outlets in May (see CMB No. 88). The latest spate of articles began on August 1, when major news portals posted a commentary by the official Xinhua news agency with the provocative title “Upheaval Would Leave China Only More Tragic than the Soviet Union.” The article, authored by Wang Xiaoshi, had originally been posted online in mid-July, to little fanfare. Then, high-level party conservatives apparently took note, reviving it and aggressively urging its promotion. A leaked directive from the State Council Information Office indicates that this was the catalyst for its posting on news portals, instructing that “for the next 48 hours, all media websites must prominently display the Xinhua editorial…. These are important instructions from a key comrade in central leadership. All websites must strictly comply.” Wang’s editorial offers a dire assessment of Russia’s political and economic situation after the fall of the Soviet Union, arguing that political change would leave China poor and miserable and citing a series of statistics to support this point. He criticizes “microbloggers and their mentors” for creating an “apocalyptic vision of China’s imminent collapse” for the purposes of promoting constitutionalism. Microbloggers quickly jumped on the article, questioning the statistics’ accuracy and claiming that Wang had misattributed quotations. On August 5, the CCP’s mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, published an editorial arguing that “constitutional-rule” ideas were part of a conspiracy by U.S. intelligence agencies and foundations they finance with the aim of overturning China’s “socialism.” And on August 6, the People’s Daily overseas edition’s front page featured a commentary specifically attacking the U.S. model of constitutional governance. By contrast, an August 5 editorial in the Study Times, published by the Central Party School, argued for political reforms to promote citizen participation. Some observers interpreted the different editorials as reflecting a rift within the leadership, though in practical terms the CCP appears united in its rejection of reforms that might challenge its overarching authority. The string of commentaries comes as senior party members prepare for an annual conclave at the resort town of Beidaihe to debate policy issues.

* China Digital Times 8/5/2013: Ministry of Truth: Worse than the Soviet Union 
* Wall Street Journal 8/2/2013: China and the desperation of dire predictions 
* South China Morning Post 8/2/2013: Nationwide commentary lashes out at party’s critics 
* South China Morning Post 8/6/2013: Opposing editorials reflect ideological rift in Communist Party 
* South China Morning Post 8/7/2013: People’s Daily continues attack on US constitution  

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Journalist, activists detained as crackdown on antigraft movement widens 

The Communist Party is continuing its crackdown on the New Citizens Movement, a grassroots campaign calling for the financial accountability of public officials, among other reforms. The movement has gained international attention since the criminal detention of its founder, prominent lawyer and blogger Xu Zhiyong, on July 16 (see CMB No. 90). One of the latest targets of the crackdown was Xiao Shu, a former commentator at the Guangzhou-based newspaper Southern Weekly, which is known for its liberal reporting. On August 2, Xiao was abducted by security forces in Beijing and forcibly taken on a plane to Guangdong Province. He was held extralegally at a hotel in Guangzhou for 48 hours before being released. The journalist subsequently posted a statement online to thank “domestic and international friends” who put a spotlight on his case. He also called on the authorities to release all prisoners of conscience and end illegal abduction “so that all citizens can truly enjoy freedom from terror.” On July 25, Shenzhen police raided a birthday dinner for prominent activist Hu Jia that they suspected would serve as a rallying point for Xu’s supporters. Hu, human rights lawyer Teng Biao, and more than a dozen guests were held for questioning for several hours. Teng told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post that the police did not produce a warrant or provide a reason for their detentions. U.S.-based activist Li Xiaorong noted in the New York Review of Books that “what all the detained activists seem to have in common is that they are accused of organizing actions that would take place not just in cyberspace but in the physical space of city streets.” On August 8, a video clip surfaced online in which Xu—handcuffed, dressed in a prison uniform, and apparently speaking from a detention center—defiantly urged Chinese people to defend their rights. It remained unclear who filmed the footage, which was available briefly on the Chinese video-streaming site Youku and on overseas websites like YouTube.

* China Media Project 8/4/2013: Xiao Shu freed, releases statement 
* Committee to Protect Journalists 8/2/2013: Veteran journalist detained, websites shut down in China 
* HRIC 7/25/2013: In custody and released: Lawyer Teng Biao, rights activist Hu Jia 
* South China Morning Post 7/27/2013: Activists 'detained while celebrating Hu Jia’s birthday' 
* New York Review of Books 7/29/2013: What’s behind the new Chinese crackdown? 
* New York Times 8/8/2013: Imprisoned Chinese rights advocate urges defiance in video

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China 

Issue No. 92: September 5, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Despite Bo Xilai defiance, media coverage of trial is closely controlled
* Journalist arrested amid national crackdown on antigraft and reform activism
* Government introduces mandatory Marxism classes for journalists
* Online antirumor principles listed, microblogger arrests widen
* Despite censorship, China’s WeChat app reaches 100 million users abroad

Photo of the Week: Nothing to See Here

Credit: Liaocheng News Net

OTHER HEADLINES
* Beijing indie film festival forced to cancel screenings
* Censorship directives restrict reporting on protests, corruption, and deadly clashes
* Court’s microblog updates of Bo Xilai trial spark online discussions
* Mongol netizens punished for ‘rumors’ on migration of Chinese settlers
* Former pro-Beijing newspaper chief named to head Hong Kong TV station
* Harvard study outlines diversity of social-media censorship methods

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Despite Bo Xilai defiance, media coverage of trial is closely controlled

The trial of purged Chongqing Communist Party chief Bo Xilai took place in Jinan, Shandong Province, from August 22 to 26 (see CMB No. 91). The proceedings differed considerably from many observers’ expectations and from past politically sensitive trials, including those of Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, and his former police chief, Wang Lijun. Among other unusual features, the trial lasted more than one day; the defendant appeared defiant, denying the charges of bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power; and the court granted him and his lawyers an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. Nonetheless, coverage of the trial in traditional media was closely controlled. Foreign journalists were kept out of the courtroom, and only 19 Chinese state media journalists were among the 100 people present. The flagship China Central Television (CCTV) evening news program did not mention the trial until its third day, while newspapers in Chongqing kept it off the front pages, though newspaper coverage was prominent in other parts of China. Per propaganda directives, most news reports consisted primarily of wire copy from the official Xinhua news agency or other state media sources, as journalists were forbidden from independently reporting on the case. Earlier speculation that a live video feed would be provided to journalists in a nearby hotel did not materialize, but in an unprecedented move, the court released periodic updates and selected excerpts of the proceedings via its Sina Weibo microblog account (see below). In their coverage, state media sought to demonize Bo with labels like “tricky, domineering, and double-dealing,” while taking great pains to frame the trial as an example of the rule of law. Xinhua, the nationalist Global Times, and other sources published commentaries praising the trial’s transparency and fairness. Despite Bo’s strident rejection of the charges against him, the focus of the case remained on family conflicts and relatively small-scale bribery allegations, avoiding matters that might touch on broader official corruption, party infighting, or human rights abuses. Moreover, in his closing remarks, Bo himself acknowledged the legitimacy of the proceedings, investigation, and judicial system, rather than straying into critiques of the party or top leaders. Ding Xueliang, a professor of Chinese politics in Hong Kong, likened the trial to a martial arts demonstration, in which “you hit somebody in the face, he hits you back, but eventually nobody gets badly injured and the result has been previously discussed and managed.”

* China Digital Times 8/23/2013: Ministry of Truth: The Bo Xilai trial (5)
* Xinhua 8/28/2013: Xinhua Insight: Details of Bo Xilai’s trial
* Guardian 8/22/2013: Bo Xilai trial coverage: controlled by the court, but extraordinary 
* Tea Leaf Nation 8/27/2013: Actor, trickster, rogue: Chinese discuss the many faces of Bo 
* South China Morning Post 8/26/2013: Bo Xilai’s trial (day 5): Wang Lijun defected after exposure of illicit relationship with Gu Kailai, says Bo 
* Wall Street Journal 8/24/2013: China’s Bo coverage: Extensive and selective 
* China Digital Times 8/22/2013: Ministry of Truth: The Bo Xilai trial (4) 
* China Digital Times 8/21/2013: Ministry of Truth: The Bo Xilai trial continued 
* China Digital Times 8/20/2013: Ministry of Truth: The Bo Xilai trial 

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Journalist arrested amid national crackdown on antigraft and reform activism

Liu Hu, a journalist with the Guangzhou-based daily Xin Kuai Bao, was detained by Beijing police on August 23 at his home in Chongqing. He was charged with “spreading false rumors” after he wrote on his microblog that Ma Zhengqi, deputy director of Chongqing’s chamber of commerce and industry, should be investigated for corruption. Liu’s microblog account was shut down, his computers were seized, and he was taken to Beijing by the police. The arrest came amid a broader crackdown on independent anticorruption activism, which contrasted with the Communist Party leadership’s public efforts to rein in graft among officials (see CMB No. 91). The campaign has also ensnared advocates of political and other reforms. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Chinese government has arbitrarily detained at least 55 activists since February this year. Among other cases, prominent Guangzhou-based lawyer Guo Feixiong has been held since August 8 for “gathering crowds to disturb public order” (see CMB No. 74). HRW said his right to legal counsel has been denied by the authorities on national security grounds, leaving him more vulnerable to torture in custody. And it was reported on August 11 that prominent reform advocate Yang Lin, a signer of the Charter 08 prodemocracy manifesto, had been arrested for “inciting subversion of state power.” Separately, Zhang Xuezhong, a law lecturer at Shanghai’s East China University of Political Science and Law, was notified by the school’s Communist Party committee on August 17 that he was being dismissed from his teaching position because of an article he had published in June. The school claimed that his writing, which criticized the party’s ongoing campaign against calls for constitutional rule in China (see CMB No. 91), had “violated the constitution,” but Zhang argued in response that he was merely exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression.

* China Digital Times 8/21/2013: Journalists, lawyers targeted as Xi tightens control 
* Reporters Without Borders 8/28/2013: During Bo Xilai trial, journalist arrest for reporting corruption 
* Sina Hong Kong 8/26/2013: 記者劉虎涉嫌制造傳播謠言被拘 被押一級看守所 [Journalist Liu Hu detained for reportedly spreading rumor, held in detention center] 
* Radio Free Asia 8/29/2013: Shanghai lawyer suspended over constitutional campaigns 
* Human Rights Watch 8/30/2013: China: Nationwide arrests of activists, critics multiply 
* Reuters 8/11/2013: China arrests activist on subversion charge as crackdown deepens 

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Beijing indie film festival forced to cancel screenings

The Beijing Independent Film Festival (BIFF), which was set to open in Songzhuang on the outskirts of Beijing on August 23, was forced to call off its planned screenings under official pressure. The festival was organized by the Beijing-based Li Xianting Film Foundation, whose film school was shut down by the police in July (see CMB No. 90). Event director Wang Hongwei, who was reportedly threatened with imprisonment, said he had negotiated with the authorities to carry on with the festival, but with crucial concessions. Invited guests and panelists were allowed to attend discussion sessions and take away DVD copies of films that had been scheduled for screening. However, the movies could not be shown to audiences of “fewer than two people or more than five.” The 2011 BIFF was forced to change venues and harassed by police, while the 2012 festival was thwarted by a mysterious loss of electrical power during the opening screening. China’s independent film industry is frequently subject to official harassment because it tends to explore social and political issues that are deemed sensitive by the government. Selected from 300 submissions, this year’s BIFF films addressed themes that ranged from ethnicity to sexual identity.

* Time Out Beijing 8/31/2013: Beijing Independent Film Festival cancelled. Kind of... 
* P.I.G. China 8/23/2013: Beijing cinephiles cross their fingers: BIFF preview 
* Indie Wire 8/20/2012: Beijing indie film festival goes dark after record turnout, heads underground 

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Government introduces mandatory Marxism classes for journalists

In its latest move to guide public opinion, the Chinese government has announced that the country’s more than 300,000 working journalists would be required to take classes on Marxism through January 2014. According to an article released by the official Xinhua news agency on August 26, the decision was issued in June by four government and party agencies: the Central Propaganda Department, the State Council Information Office, the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SGAPPRFT), and the state-run All-China Journalists Association. An official in charge of the training program said the internet had changed China’s media environment, making propaganda efforts “increasingly difficult” and producing young journalists whose “ideological and political qualities vary greatly.” A journalist with state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) who had attended a three-hour Marxism training session in late June questioned its relevance for modern journalism. “I think it’s more about ideology, and very little about journalism theory or practice,” he commented. David Bandurski of Hong Kong University’s China Media Project said the instruction was likely to focus on the Marxist view that journalism’s purpose is to serve the party and guide public opinion, rather than seek the truth and inform the public. The initiative comes amid a broader ideological campaign launched by Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in June (see CMB No. 89).

* South China Morning Post 8/27/2013: China orders nation’s journalists to take Marxism classes 
* Global Times 9/2/2013: Marxist training for reporters 
* Xinhua 8/26/2013: 广泛深入开展新闻战线马克思主义新闻观培训 [Marxism training program helps develop deeply rooted news line] 
* Wall Street Journal 8/28/2013: Marxist school now in session for Chinese journalists 

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Censorship directives restrict reporting on protests, corruption, and deadly clashes

Since early August, the Communist Party’s local and national propaganda departments have reportedly issued numerous directives to media outlets to prohibit, limit, or downplay coverage of sensitive news events. The directives, leaked and posted online by the California-based China Digital Times, related to incidents ranging from riots and corruption to a deadly ammonia leak. On August 13, the authorities barred media outlets from reporting or commenting on accusations of corruption involving top Shanghai police officials, describing the allegations as “online rumors.” Censorship directives issued on August 15 limited media to using only official sources, rather than independent investigations, when reporting on violent antigovernment protests by villagers in Anhui Province who were angered by government inaction following a severe drought. Similarly, on August 18, the Central Propaganda Department directed media to use only copy provided by the official Xinhua news agency when reporting on a letter signed by 70 police officers accusing senior Shanghai judge Cui Yadong of graft. Search results for the term “Cui Yadong” were subsequently blocked on the popular social-media platform Sina Weibo. After news broke of a securities-trading scandal involving Chinese brokerage firm Everbright Securities, Guangdong Province’s Propaganda Department on August 20 ordered media to publish only information provided by official sources and not “hype” the case. Several directives imposed news blackouts on incidents that involved fatalities, including in the restive northwestern region of Xinjiang. On August 8, the Central Propaganda Department warned that media were “absolutely forbidden” from covering Xinjiang clashes that reportedly left three dead and 20 injured, possibly after police opened fire on residents who were expressing outrage over the arrest of four Uighur Muslims for engaging in religious activities. Directives dated August 30 prohibited publication of news about a violent raid, also in Xinjiang, on an unconfirmed “terrorist cell” that reportedly resulted in 22 deaths. Separately, following a deadly ammonia leak at a Shanghai refrigeration plant that killed 15 people and left 26 ill, censorship authorities on September 1 ordered media to “downplay” the fatal mishap.

* China Digital Times 8/11/2013: Ministry of Truth: Violence in Xinjiang on Eid 
* China Digital Times 8/13/2013: Ministry of Truth: Rumored Shanghai mobsters 
* China Digital Times 8/17/2013: Ministry of Truth: Flipping cars in Anhui Province 
* China Digital Times 8/18/2013: Ministry of Truth: 70 accuse Cui Yadong of graft 
* China Digital Times 8/23/2013: Ministry of Truth: Bad trades and fake thirds 
* China Digital Times 9/3/2013: Ministry of Truth: August 20 clash in Kashgar 
* Associated Press 8/28/2013: China confirms raid on alleged terror cell 
* China Digital Times 9/3/2013: Ministry of Truth: 15 dead in liquid ammonia leak 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Online antirumor principles listed, microblogger arrests widen

In a further move to combat online “rumors,” the government-sponsored China Internet Conference, held in Beijing from August 13 to 15, produced a resolution laying out the so-called “seven base lines” for a “healthy online environment” (see CMB No. 91). According to the official Xinhua news agency, the seven principles to which online content must conform are legal regulation, the socialist system, the national interest, citizens’ rights and interests, public order, morality, and information accuracy. The noticeably subordinate placement of “information accuracy” suggests that the guidelines are meant more to suppress content that clashes with the Communist Party’s political priorities than to limit the spread of falsehoods. The conference’s initiative targets in particular employees in the internet industry, celebrities, and prominent bloggers who are known as “big Vs” due to their popularity and the fact that their identities have been verified by web administrators. In an August 26 editorial, the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said the “big Vs” have become an amplifier of “big rumors” in China, as their accounts are followed by millions of users. According to the article, the “seven base lines” would help these writers disseminate “real information.” However, criticism of the antirumor crackdown has emerged in recent weeks, as hundreds of users ranging from ordinary individuals to major commentators have been investigated and arrested. On September 2, Song Huichang, a professor at the Communist Party’s Central Party School, wrote in the party newspaper Study Times that attempts by the leadership to “gag the people’s voices” would end in revolt, citing examples from China’s ancient history. Meanwhile, amid the large numbers of cases and confusion as to what constitutes a violation, the Guangzhou police and several other law enforcement institutions in Guangdong Province used their official microblogs to express frustration with excessive repression of “rumors.” The posts were widely shared before being deleted. On August 23, Charles Xue, a Chinese American businessman who is known for his web commentaries—under the name Xue Manzi—on China’s social and political issues, was detained for allegedly soliciting prostitutes. Amid uncertainty surrounding his case, netizens speculated that Xue, a “big V” with more than 12 million followers, was being targeted by authorities for his ability to sway public opinion on the internet.

* Diplomat 9/3/2013: China intensifies crackdown on social media rumors 
* China Media Project 8/27/2013: China’s ‘seven base lines’ for a clean internet 
* Xinhua 7/28/2013: 七条底线全体网民应共守 [All netizens should follow the seven base lines] 
* People’s Daily 8/26/2013: 谨防大V变大谣 [Beware of big-V rumors] 
* South China Morning Post 9/3/2013: Critics of ‘rumour’ crackdown point to history, as police voice dissent online 
* Offbeat China 8/27/2013: Will the detention of prominent Weibo celebrity Xue Manzi shut China’s ‘big V’ bloggers up? 
* Bloomberg 8/27/2013: China’s top tweeters under fire 

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Court’s microblog updates of Bo Xilai trial spark online discussions

As the trial of purged Chongqing Communist Party leader Bo Xilai opened on August 22 (see above), the court began posting updates and quotations from the proceedings on its microblog account and more detailed transcripts on its website. The approach—and the content of the posts—caught many observers and netizens by surprise, particularly as it became apparent that Bo was not going to meekly accept the charges against him and was adeptly cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses. Despite the ostensible transparency, the published excerpts were selective, omitting statements that touched on high-level official involvement in the response to former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun’s defection to a U.S. consulate, which ultimately led to Bo’s ouster, or on the use of abusive interrogation tactics against Bo. Nevertheless, the court’s releases fueled a lively online conversation, as the trial became the top-trending topic on Sina Weibo on August 22 and the court transcript posted on the Netease web portal garnered over 24 million views. The number of users following the court’s microblog account quickly swelled to several hundred thousand, though this is a small percentage of the country’s users. Reactions ranged from admiration for Bo’s defiance to criticism of the prosecutors for their fumbles in linking him to his wife’s corruption. The most common response was surprise. “I was dumbfounded by the transcripts,” wrote one user quoted by the e-magazine Tea Leaf Nation. “What a huge twist… we shall see how this ends,” noted another. Some posts expressing support for Bo were reportedly deleted. Taken as a whole, the authorities’ handling of the trial coverage exemplified what researchers at Hong Kong University’s China Media Project have termed “Control 2.0,” combining tight restrictions on independent reporting with more transparency and breaking-news updates from approved government sources in order to shape coverage and online conversations. If the aim was to limit the scope of discussion to the salacious details of Bo’s family life—like the exotic meat his son brought back from a trip to Africa—and direct attention away from the systemic roots of corruption or human rights abuses, the authorities appeared to have succeeded. But if the purpose was to discredit Bo, they may have failed, as many netizens praised his eloquence and knowledge of the law, questioned the competence of the prosecutors, and remarked that the $3.5 million in bribes Bo allegedly received was dwarfed by the amounts often cited in corruption cases involving lower-level officials.

* Sina 8/22/2013: 薄熙来案8月22日庭审实录(全文) [Bo Xilai case August 22 trial record (full text)] 
* South China Morning Post 8/26/2013: Bo Xilai’s trial (day 2): Bo says wife ‘crazy’, perjured against him under duress 
* South China Morning Post 8/26/2013: Bo Xilai trial transcripts censored, sources say 
* BBC 8/27/2013: China media: Bo Xilai trial 
* CNN 8/23/2013: China: Xilai trial by social media 
* Daily Beast 8/23/2013: Bo Xilai’s perfect show trial 
* Tea Leaf Nation 8/22/2013: You can’t handle the truth: Bo Xilai’s courtroom performance wins fans 

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INNER MONGOLIA

Mongol netizens punished for ‘rumors’ on migration of Chinese settlers

The municipal Public Security Bureau of Ulaanhad in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region reported on August 7 that administrative penalties had been imposed on at least 13 individuals for spreading online “rumors” about alleged government plans to relocate a million ethnic Chinese from Sichuan Province to Inner Mongolia. In a microblog post, the bureau said the rumors had disturbed online order and affected social stability. Two days later, a statement posted by the regional Public Security Bureau reiterated that the migration plan was a “pure rumor” initiated by “foreign hostile forces,” and confirmed that those who spread it had been “detained, warned, and educated.” On August 29 the regional bureau reported dozens of other netizen arrests for spreading alleged rumors on various topics, apparently in connection with a nationwide antirumor campaign (see above). According to the New York–based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC), netizens in Inner Mongolia have increasingly used social media to protest Beijing’s policies in the region (see CMB No. 39). Recent posts ranged from photos of ethnic Chinese waiting to register their residency in Inner Mongolia to cartoons of Mongols defending their land. Despite the official denials, the SMHRIC cited anecdotal evidence of significant migration, as well as past reports in state media—specifically in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake—that made mention of development plans involving the relocation of Sichuan residents to Inner Mongolia.

* Radio Free Asia 8/12/2013: Mongolian netizens ‘punished’ for Chinese resettlement complaints 
* SMHRIC 8/12/2013: Netizens punished as Southern Mongolians protest Chinese immigration 
* SMHRIC 9/4/2013: 52 netizens arrested for ‘spreading rumors’, ‘sensationalizing conflicts’, and ‘stirring up ethnic relations’ 

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HONG KONG

Former pro-Beijing newspaper chief named to head TV station

Louie King-bun, former executive editor in chief of the pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao, took up the executive director position at Asia Television (ATV) on September 2. He was appointed after his predecessor, James Shing Pan-yu, was ordered to resign by the territory’s media regulator on August 31. According to a report released by the Communications Authority on August 23, Shing had violated licensing terms by allowing major investor Wong Ching, a relative of his, to meddle with the station’s day-to-day operations. The investigation also imposed a HK$1 million (US$130,000) fine on ATV. Louie, who had joined the station as vice president in 2012, had drawn controversy in December after ATV Focus, a show he managed, ran harsh comments about the student group Scholarism for its campaigns against a mainland-oriented national education plan (see CMB No. 90). According to South China Morning Post, Louie has begun recruiting employees from Ta Kung Pao to join his team. On September 2, a former ATV anchor wrote on her Facebook page that she had left the station in part because of increasing self-censorship in favor of the Hong Kong government. ATV is one of just two companies with a license to operate in the territory’s free-to-air television market, and efforts to issue additional licenses have met with repeated delays (see CMB No. 87).

* South China Morning Post 9/3/2013: New ATV boss Louie King-bun faces early test of ethics 
* Standard 9/2/2013: ATV backs down 
* South China Morning Post 9/2/2013: James Shing quits role as ATV’s executive director 
* HKJA 7/7/2013: Dark clouds on the horizon: Hong Kong’s freedom of expression faces new threats 

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BEYOND CHINA

Despite censorship, China’s WeChat app reaches 100 million users abroad

The popular Chinese mobile-phone messaging platform WeChat announced on August 15 that it had passed 100 million registered accounts outside China (see CMB No. 91). The service, which recently featured Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi in its international commercials, has about 235.8 million monthly active users in total—a 176.8 percent year-on-year increase. A report published by Chinese state media on August 25 said that unlike other Chinese social-media platforms, including Sina Weibo and Tencent’s QQ, WeChat, which is also owned by Tencent, is popular among foreigners. According to data released by London-based Global Web Index in August, WeChat was ranked the fifth-most-downloaded mobile application in the world, after Google Maps, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+. Its top overseas markets are Indonesia and Malaysia. Despite its popularity, the service has continued to adhere to Beijing’s censorship rules by providing both a “sanitized” version, known as Weixin, for mainland users and an international one for users abroad. Within China, prominent rights activist Hu Jia said in May that his contacts were deleted after he discussed citizen rights on the platform, and investigative journalist Luo Chanping, who is known for his revelations of official corruption, had his account deleted. Even the international service has reportedly engaged in censorship to some extent. Accounts surfaced in January that overseas users were having trouble sending out messages containing words that are often blocked on China’s internet (see CMB No. 78). And according to Global Voices, ChinaGate, a popular overseas Chinese-language web portal that is blocked in China due to its uncensored content, opened a U.S.-based WeChat account in August that was suspended after just two days. WeChat users who attempted to follow the site were led to a message that read, “This account has violated WeChat admin platform policies and has been forbidden from using all official account features.”

* The Next Web 8/15/2013: WhatsApp rival WeChat surpasses 100 million user accounts outside China 
* CCTV 8/25/2013: Use of Chinese social media spreads abroad 
* Global Voices 8/22/2013: Which flavor of China’s wildly popular WeChat will you get?

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 93: September 19, 2013

SPECIAL SECTION: SOCIAL MEDIA CRACKDOWN
* New judicial guidelines expand criminalization of online speech
* Online activists big and small detained
* State media air contrite statements by leading bloggers
* Campaign sends chill through microblog community, investors undeterred
* Observers speculate on leadership’s motives

Photo of the Week: Suspended Sentence

Credit: China Digital Times

OTHER HEADLINES
* State media misreport fate of Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics bid
* Journalist jailed with Yahoo’s help is released early
* Despite blocking, Facebook COO meets with Chinese officials
* Taiwan reporters denied accreditation by UN-affiliated organization
* Beijing acquires stake in South African media group
* Wellesley faculty back embattled Chinese scholar, question ties to Peking U
* Researcher Jason Ng releases book on microblog censorship patterns

Printable Version

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

Announcement: The editors would like to wish our readers and donors a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋節快樂!

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SPECIAL SECTION: SOCIAL MEDIA CRACKDOWN

New judicial guidelines expand criminalization of online speech

On September 9, China’s highest judicial authorities, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, issued a joint legal interpretation that extends the applicability of existing criminal offenses and penalties to “online rumors” (see CMB No. 92). The interpretation, which took effect on September 10 and came amid an ongoing crackdown on internet users, affects crimes such as defamation, creating disturbances, and illegal business operations, all of which are often invoked to punish human rights activism. Such guidelines from the two judicial bodies often have a wide-ranging impact on how cases are initiated and decided. The new document allows for a Chinese internet user to receive up to three years in prison for writings that are deemed false or defamatory if the circumstances are “serious.” The term “serious” is defined to include cases in which the post in question has been viewed more than 5,000 times or reposted more than 500 times. Chinese and international legal experts and activists criticized these thresholds as extremely low for such a severe punishment, especially given the size of China’s internet user population. The rules also allow prosecutors to file criminal defamation charges when online expression “seriously harms public order or the interests of the state,” even though defamation complaints are typically filed by individuals whose reputation is perceived to be damaged. The document names seven situations that would qualify, including information leading to mass protests, ethnic or religious tensions, damage to the country’s international image, and a catch-all “other” category. One dimension of the legal interpretation that has drawn praise in some circles is its targeting of companies that profit from schemes to delete online messages or intentionally post false information. State media have hailed the rules for helping resolve “unclear sentencing criteria for illegal internet activities,” and a prosecutorial spokesman stressed that the guidelines are not aimed at punishing those who expose corruption. Nonetheless, the vague language and the broad discretion left to law enforcement authorities seem likely to increase arbitrary prosecutions and harsh punishments, both in cases involving political, social, and religious activities, and in the pursuit of personal interests by prosecutors, police, judges, and the officials who oversee them. “This gives every corrupt local official a convenient tool to arrest anyone who criticises him,” Michael Anti, a prominent blogger and media commentator in Beijing, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper. Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, and other rights groups view the new interpretation as a dangerous signal that could further erode freedom of speech and the rule of law in China.

* Chinalawtranslate 9/10/2013: SPC and SPP interpretation on internet speech crimes 
* Xinhua 9/9/2013: New rules create online rumor ‘straitjacket’ 
* Guardian 9/10/2013: China cracks down on social media with threat of jail for ‘online rumours’ 
* Global Voices 9/11/2013: What’s a rumor? Judiciary guidelines face scrutiny in China
* Human Rights Watch 9/13/2013: Draconian legal interpretation threatens online freedom 
* Caixin 9/11/2013: Expert backs law officials on net rumors, but ‘5,000 views is too low’ 
* China Digital Times 9/10/2013: Lawyers criticize ‘straitjacket’ for online rumors 

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Online activists big and small detained

The Chinese Communist Party in recent weeks has continued its crackdown on outspoken microbloggers, investigating and arresting hundreds of people—ranging from influential “big Vs” with millions of followers to ordinary, low-profile users—in an apparent drive to pare back or even quash online dissent. Among the targeted big Vs was wealthy venture capitalist Wang Gongquan, who was arrested in Beijing on September 13. He was reportedly taken from his home by roughly 20 police officers and accused of “disturbing public order.” Wang, whose deleted Sina Weibo microblog account had more than 1.4 million followers, is a prominent member of the emerging New Citizens Movement, a grassroots campaign calling for political reforms. The group’s founder, Xu Zhiyong, and many of its members have been detained in recent months (see CMB No. 91). According to the Wall Street Journal, Wang had used the popular Chinese mobile-phone messaging platform WeChat to send multiple messages calling for the release of Xu and other activists, which likely led to his detention. On September 17, another well-known blogger who writes under the name “Huazong” was detained in Beijing. His posts had been widely covered by Chinese and foreign media since 2011, when he began compiling and analyzing images of government officials wearing luxury wristwatches whose value exceeded their legal income (see, inter alia, CMB No. 34). He was reportedly held on suspicion of distributing rumors online, blackmail, and extortion, though one of the officials he exposed, Yang Dacai, was recently sentenced to 14 years in prison for taking bribes and possession of unexplained assets (see CMB No. 69). Separately, Dong Rubin, a less prominent microblogger with about 50,000 followers, was detained by police in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, on September 10 for allegedly misstating his company’s registered assets, a rarely invoked charge. Dong had campaigned in the past for an investigation into the 2009 death of a young man in police custody, and more recently participated in a movement against plans for a new state-owned petrochemical plant in the city (see CMB No. 88).

* Associated Press 9/12/2013: Chinese microblogger who questioned oil refinery plan is detained on rare business charge 
* Wall Street Journal 9/13/2013: China detains venture capitalist in crackdown on civic group 
* South China Morning Post 9/17/2013: Whistle-blower ‘Huazong’ becomes latest victim of online speech crackdown 

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State media air contrite statements by leading bloggers

The Chinese authorities have reinforced their current crackdown on online speech by airing confessions and statements of contrition by influential bloggers on state media, prompting comparisons to the coerced self-denunciations of the Mao Zedong era. In a newscast aired by China Central Television (CCTV) on September 15, popular Chinese American microblogger and businessman Charles Xue, who was detained in August for allegedly soliciting prostitutes (see CMB No. 92), was shown handcuffed in a detention center, confessing that his 12 million followers on the Sina Weibo microblogging platform had fueled his ego and made him feel “like an emperor.” Xue, known online as Xue Manzi, warned other prominent bloggers, known as “big Vs,” not to go down his road. According to the official Xinhua news agency, as he gained popularity, Xue had begun to post unverified information and advertisements, and gradually came to see himself as more influential than a government minister. “My irresponsibility in spreading information online was a vent of negative mood, and was a neglect of the social mainstream,” Xinhua quoted him as saying. On September 11, CCTV aired an interview with a big V who has not been detained, Chinese real-estate mogul Pan Shiyi. His Weibo account is followed by 16 million users, and he is usually an outspoken and articulate activist on the country’s environmental problems. But he displayed a pronounced stutter in the CCTV appearance as he described the need for online opinion leaders to be more disciplined and socially responsible. The performance drew satirical commentary from internet users. One netizen wrote, “Apparently, Mr. Pan was being interviewed by the police, not a reporter!”

* South China Morning Post 9/16/2013: Charles Xue Biqun admits Weibo fuelled ego, state media reports 
* Reuters 9/15/2013: China airs confession by detained blogger amid online rumor crackdown 
* Xinhua 9/15/2013: China exclusive: ‘Like a king on the internet’—celebrity blogger Xue’s story 
* CCTV 9/15/2013: 大V”薛蛮子的网络心路 [Big V Xue Manzi’s confession]
* Wall Street Journal 9/12/2013: F-F-Fear and loathing on the Chinese internet 
* China Digital Times 9/13/2013: Netizen Voices: CCTV reins in Pan Shiyi 

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Campaign sends chill through microblog community, investors undeterred

The new judicial interpretation on internet crimes and the growing number of arrests have had a more immediate and profound chilling effect on China’s “microblogosphere” than previous government attempts to enhance control over social media. In online postings and media interviews, microbloggers with even moderately large followings have voiced their fears and observations of the crackdown’s impact. “I am really scared now that any whistleblowing might lead to an arrest,” said Zhou Ze, a rights lawyer with more than 165,000 followers on Sina Weibo. He continued, “We all have to talk less, and more carefully. If rumors can lead to detention or arrest, everyone will fear for themselves and become particularly scared about criticizing officials, which we are seeing less of on the internet.” Data provided by Weiboreach, a social-media analysis firm, to Reuters and Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reinforce anecdotal evidence of reduced traffic and political discussion online. The two news outlets reported that the number of posts by a random sample of 4,500 influential microbloggers was on average 11 percent lower in August than in January, and that writers from the government and academia, who are more likely to discuss politics, had higher rates of deletion in August than those in entertainment-related occupations. By contrast, a sample of 100,000 microblogs with fewer followers showed the number of posts rising, highlighting the way in which the crackdown has disproportionately silenced prominent “big V” writers. In some cases, high-profile users have not only reduced their level of activity, but may also be deleting their own previous posts. Weiboreach found that over 2,500 posts had disappeared from the account of one Beijing-based liberal professor, though the scholar refused to confirm that he had deleted the posts himself. Despite the increased self-censorship and reduced usage, as well as the moral and human rights dilemmas raised by the clampdown, investors appear undeterred. Bloomberg reports that Sina’s share price is up 50 percent since the first signs of a pending crackdown emerged in April, while rival Tencent’s market capitalization value passed the $100 billion mark on September 16. In a required U.S. regulatory filing linked to its American-listed shares, Sina had warned in April 2012 that increased regulatory and law enforcement efforts from Beijing could seriously dampen user traffic (see CMB No. 56).

* South China Morning Post 9/13/2013: Is anti-rumour crackdown silencing voices of online dissent at Weibo? 
* Reuters 9/18/2013: China crackdown on online rumors seen as ploy to nail critics 
* China Digital Times 9/11/2013: Big Vs speak out against internet crackdown 
* Bloomberg 9/17/2013: China’s internet companies battered by censorship—and yet thriving financially 
* Bloomberg 9/18/2013: Tencent approaches Facebook value amid China web boom 
 
*******************

Observers speculate on leadership’s motives

Chinese and foreign analysts have struggled to identify the reasons for the intensified assault on social media and influential online commentators. Some pressure on prominent microbloggers to restrain their writings was already apparent by mid-August, as reflected in a government-sponsored conference’s release of “seven base lines” for a “healthy online environment” (see CMB No. 92). However, an August 19 speech by President Xi Jinping at a national meeting of propaganda department leaders seems to have catalyzed the more aggressive tactics currently being employed to curtail online speech. According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, Xi used militaristic language common to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) political campaigns. One source cited by the paper said Xi insisted that “the Communist Party should be combative, instead of passive, and it should wage a war to win over public opinion,” while ordering the propaganda apparatus to “form a strong internet army to seize the ground of new media.” Subsequent speeches and commentary by officials like Lu Wei, director of the State Council Information Office, and Zhang Xiaolian, director of Heilongjiang Province’s propaganda department, have echoed such language. Some observers, such as political analyst Zhang Lifan, speculate that the campaign reflects Xi’s efforts to consolidate his grip on power ahead of an important party conclave in November and amid an atmosphere of internal party debate. Kerry Brown, executive director of the University of Sydney’s China Studies Centre, says the clampdown is a sign that Xi believes CCP rule to be under threat. Xi has displayed a broader affinity for Mao-era tactics, as with the “mass line” party rectification campaign initiated in June (see CMB No. 89). Historically, the CCP has engaged in periodic cycles of repression in response to new forces of openness in Chinese society, especially targeting outspoken individuals who have begun to gain the trust of a large public following or build networks of like-minded people outside state or party control. According to novelist Hao Qun, who blogs as Murong Xuecun, the authorities “want to sever those relationships and make the relationship on Weibo atomized, just like relations in Chinese society, where everyone is just a solitary atom.”

* South China Morning Post 9/4/2013: Xi Jinping rallies party for propaganda war on internet 
* South China Morning Post 9/16/2013: Xi Jinping goes back to the future to strengthen party control
* ChinaFile 9/17/2013: What’s behind China’s recent internet crackdown? 
* China Copyright and Media 9/9/2013: Correctly deal with the Seven Great Relationships in ideological work 
* New York Times 9/10/2013: Crackdown on bloggers is mounted by China 

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

State media misreport fate of Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics bid

Shortly before the International Olympic Committee formally announced on September 7 that Tokyo had won its bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) and the official Xinhua news agency both erroneously reported that Tokyo had been eliminated, with the latter claiming that Istanbul had won. After the gaffe became apparent, other Chinese news outlets that had picked up the false reports scrambled to correct them. Two prominent newspapers in Hunan Province had to recall hundreds of thousands of copies. Netizens quickly juxtaposed the error with an ongoing government crackdown on the dissemination of “rumors” via social media (see above), alleging hypocrisy or selective enforcement by the authorities. One microblogger wrote, “Liars must be held accountable, otherwise it’s not fair.” State media had made major errors before, mostly recently in August, when Xinhua mistook a satirical article about the sale of the Washington Post for fact (see CMB No. 91). Once it became clear that Tokyo had won its Olympics bid, an editorial in the Chinese Communist Party’s Global Times warned Japan to show greater contrition for its historical military aggression or risk negative publicity surrounding the 2020 games. Relations between the two countries have soured in the past year amid conflicting territorial claims over a small archipelago in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China.

* BBC 9/10/2013: China media: Tokyo’s Olympic bid 
* Agence France-Presse 9/9/2013: Chinese state media mocked for Olympics host city gaffe 
* China Digital Times 9/9/2013: Are Chinese happy about Tokyo’s Olympics win? 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Journalist jailed with Yahoo’s help is released early

Chinese journalist Shi Tao, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2005, was released 15 months ahead of schedule on August 23 (see CMB No. 67). According to PEN International, a literary and human rights organization, Shi was treated “relatively well” in prison, but he is reportedly under pressure to refrain from speaking to the media. He was arrested in November 2004 and sentenced the following year for “leaking state secrets abroad,” having sent an e-mail to a New York–based website that relayed Chinese government restrictions on news coverage regarding the 15th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. His arrest and conviction were aided by information that representatives of Yahoo, the U.S. web portal and e-mail hosting service, divulged to the Chinese authorities, making it one of the first cases to draw international attention to the challenges facing foreign technology companies operating in China’s restrictive media environment. Although Yahoo defended itself by citing its obligation to comply with local laws, it later apologized to Shi’s family members and reached a private settlement with them. In a statement on September 9, the company welcomed the news of his early release and reiterated its support for the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression. Rights groups such as Amnesty International have long campaigned for Shi’s release, and in 2005 he was awarded the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award. Patrick Poon, executive secretary of the Hong Kong branch of PEN International, also welcomed Shi’s early release, but he noted that “there are no signs that the Chinese authorities are going to loosen control over cyberspace.”

* Radio Free Asia 9/9/2013: Chinese dissident’s release ‘no sign’ of easing internet controls 
* PEN International 9/8/2013: PEN member Shi Tao released from prison 
* Committee to Protect Journalists 9/9/2013: Release of Chinese journalist Shi Tao was long overdue 
* Amnesty International: Shi Tao, imprisoned for peaceful expression 
* Wall Street Journal 9/8/2013: Chinese writer Shi Tao released from prison early, group says 
* Reuters 9/9/2313: Yahoo welcomes release of Chinese writer jailed for email 

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Despite blocking, Facebook COO meets with Chinese officials

On September 10, Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of the globally popular social-networking platform Facebook, met in Beijing with the head of China’s State Council Information Office (SCIO), Cai Mingzhao. According to a brief statement posted on the SCIO website, “The two sides discussed the role of Facebook in expanding Chinese enterprises abroad and other cooperative matters.” Facebook has long been blocked in China, and observers rejected the idea that it could be unblocked in near future, but the meeting and statement suggested that Facebook would continue to seek business from Chinese companies in the form of advertising and other relationships. Other U.S.-based internet firms have adopted a similar approach, focusing on “non-sensitive” products and services (see CMB No. 45). On September 16, news emerged that users in Iran had inexplicably gained access to Facebook and Twitter, which had been blocked there since 2009, prompting envy among some Chinese users. One netizen lamented, “What are Facebook and Twitter? Do they really exist?” However, both services were blocked again in Iran by the following day.

* Wall Street Journal 9/11/2013: Sheryl Sandberg’s meeting with Beijing: What it means 
* SIIO 9/10/2013: 蔡名照主任会见脸谱公司首席运营官桑德伯格一行 [Cai Mingzhao meets Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg] 
* South China Morning Post 9/17/2013: ‘Is Facebook real?’ China’s internet users ask in frustration as Iran lifts its ban 

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BEYOND CHINA

Taiwan reporters denied accreditation by UN-affiliated organization

Citing its adherence to the “one China” policy, the UN-affiliated International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has denied press credentials to Taiwanese journalists seeking to cover its general assembly in Montreal, Canada, from September 24 to October 4. A Taiwanese government delegation was invited by the president of the ICAO Council to attend the event as “guests” under the name “Chinese Taipei.” However, in a September 11 notice received by Taiwan’s Liberty Times newspaper, the organization’s communications unit said it was “not permitted to accredit media directly affiliated to Taiwanese news agencies.” In a statement released on September 13, the Association of Taiwanese Journalists (ATJ) said the rejection was an infringement of the right to information and urged the ICAO to treat journalists from all countries equally. Due to Chinese pressure, it is not unusual for Taiwanese representatives to be barred from attending international events. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and resists any action that implies recognition of the island’s government as a separate entity. Unlike China, Taiwan is designated as a Free media environment in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press index.

* Association of Taiwan Journalists 9/13/2013: 台灣新聞記者協會抗議ICAO拒發台灣媒體記者證聲明稿 [ATJ protests ICAO refusal to grant press pass to Taiwan journalists] 
* Taipei Times 9/18/2013: MOFA trying to get Taiwanese media ICAO accreditation 
* China Post 9/18/2013: MOFA to support ICAO assembly coverage 

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Beijing acquires stake in South African media group

On August 15, South Africa’s Competition Commission approved a transaction in which China International Television Corporation, a subsidiary of state-run China Central Television (CCTV), and the Beijing-backed China-Africa Development Fund would acquire a 20 percent stake in one of South Africa’s largest newspaper chains, joining a state-owned South African investment corporation and private investors linked to the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. The group of papers was being sold by a debt-laden Irish company, Independent News and Media, and includes major titles such as the Cape Times, the Star, the Mercury, and Pretoria News. In recent years, China has expanded CCTV’s reach in Africa as part of a long-term campaign to bolster its influence on the continent (see, inter alia, CMB No. 64). Journalists at CCTV are tightly controlled, and their reports largely align with the Communist Party’s agenda. However, it remains unclear what impact the Chinese stake will have on the South African papers’ reporting. Anton Harber, a journalism professor at the University of Witwatersrand, said, “I do not think the Chinese authorities will crudely impose their views on our media, as they do on much of their own, but I do think that they are likely to try and influence it for a more sympathetic view of themselves and the ANC government.” Freedom House research on other parts of the world similarly suggests that any impact on coverage will likely be subtle, involving pressure on journalists to self-censor when covering stories the Chinese government deems sensitive. The media acquisition reflects China’s growing political and economic clout in South Africa since it became the country’s largest trading partner in 2009. The closer relationship is thought to have played a role in the South African government’s decisions to refuse a timely visa to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in 2009 and 2011 (see CMB No. 35). South Africa is rated Partly Free in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press index.

* Globe and Mail 9/11/2013: Why China is making a big play to control Africa’s media 
* Mail and Guardian 8/15/2013: Chinese companies scoop shares in Independent News 
* Wall Street Journal 8/21/2013: South African businessman enters publishing with Chinese help 
* Sunday Times 8/11/2013: SA reaps rewards of China trade deals 
* Freedom of the Press 2013: South Africa 

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Wellesley faculty back embattled Beijing scholar, question ties to Peking U

After news emerged in July that Peking University (PKU) economics professor Xia Yeliang was facing dismissal for his online criticism of the ruling Communist Party (see CMB No. 91), more than 130 faculty members at Wellesley College in Boston signed an open letter calling on the Chinese university to respect freedom of speech. The letter, dated September 3, warned that the signers would encourage Wellesley to “reconsider” its newly established institutional partnership with PKU if Xia were ultimately fired. Xia told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post on September 11 that it remained unclear whether he would be able to stay. “They told me pressuring the university with outside support was not going to work in my favor,” he said. Amid a growing campaign on his behalf, the Communist Party’s Global Times ran an editorial on September 9 that urged PKU not to give in to “outside pressure.” It also alleged that Xia failed his academic evaluation last year. Xia countered that he had passed the review and said he would file a libel lawsuit against Global Times editor in chief Hu Xijin if there were no retraction. Universities in democratic countries have been expanding their partnerships with Chinese educational institutions in recent years, raising the potential for conflicts over academic freedom and freedom of expression (see, inter alia, CMB Nos. 42, 77, 81, 86, 89).

* Human Rights in China 9/9/2013: ‘Global Times’ editor-in-chief publicly spreads rumor 
* South China Morning Post 9/11/2013: Fate of liberal Peking University professor still unknown despite support of US academics 
* Boston Globe 9/17/2013: Wellesley College faculty propose cutting ties with university in China if professor there is fired for advocating for democracy, freedom 
* Open letter 9/3/2013 

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

Researcher Jason Ng releases book on microblog censorship patterns

On September 12, Google Policy Fellow and China Digital Times research consultant Jason Q. Ng announced the release of his book, Blocked on Weibo: What Gets Suppressed on China’s Version of Twitter (And Why), which compiles and analyzes blocked terms on China’s leading social-media platform, Sina Weibo. The book is derived from Ng’s blog, Blocked on Weibo, which he created in 2011. In order to identify banned terms, Ng wrote a computer script to test some 700,000 potential search terms drawn from the complete list of Chinese Wikipedia article titles. He discovered about 1,500 blocked terms, of which 150 are detailed in his book. Ng explains that due to vague and overbroad censorship guidelines issued by state officials, companies like Sina take precautionary measures to “over-censor” and ensure compliance. He said in a September 12 interview with the online magazine ChinaFile that some blocked terms appeared to be arbitrary and did not fit into any obvious category of off-limits subject matter, such as political reform, democracy, official scandals, and the censorship system itself. He also noted the large number of names of politicians that are blocked on Sina Weibo, observing that this contrasts sharply with democratic countries where politicians have a desire and incentive to raise their public profiles, since they are beholden to voters rather than an opaque network of party colleagues and superiors. Commenting on China’s netizens, Ng praised the creativity they displayed in concocting unique methods to evade pervasive censorship. By using coded terms or words embedded in images, netizens are able to carry on discussions that the government seeks to prohibit.

* ChinaFile 9/12/2013: Blocked on Weibo 
* Blocked on Weibo 
* Shanghaiist 9/5/2013: ‘Limitations breed creativity,’ interview with Blocked on Weibo’s Jason Q. Ng
 

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China 

Issue No. 95: October 29, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Paper forced to retreat after bold defense of detained journalist
* Peking University fires dissident scholar Xia Yeliang
* Social media mum on Yuyao flooding, blogger crackdown cited
* Overlooking censorship, foreign media leaders flock to Chinese summit
* Beijing blocks criticism at UN rights review

Photo of the Week: A Boldface Cry for Freedom

OTHER HEADLINES
* Eying foreign companies, state TV rounds on Starbucks and Samsung
* Media coverage muted as Bo Xilai sentence upheld
* Lack of transparency on Hong Kong TV licensing prompts protests
* Tibetan writers arrested, woman held for WeChat messages
* Police arrest scores of Uighur netizens for ‘jihad’ talk
* American historian accepts censorship to publish book in China
* U.S. congressional panel holds hearing on Guo Feixiong, freedom of expression
 

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Paper forced to retreat after bold defense of detained journalist

On October 18, journalist Chen Yongzhou of New Express newspaper in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, was summoned by local police and then turned over to authorities from Changsha, Hunan Province. He was accused of “damaging the business reputation” of Zoomlion, one of the country’s largest construction machinery businesses, which is partly owned by the Hunan government. After several days of quiet attempts to secure Chen’s release, New Express published a full front-page editorial with the headline “Please Release Him.” It defended Chen’s reporting, claiming that staff had reviewed his 15 articles about Zoomlion and discovered only one minor error. The editorial was a rare example of Chinese media directly appealing to the public over the unfair treatment of one of their journalists. In an outcry reminiscent of the January protest against censorship at Guangzhou’s Southern Weekly (see CMB special), New Express garnered support from prominent bloggers and business figures. The Central Propaganda Department reportedly instructed media not to cover the incident, but several commercial papers published statements of solidarity. A strongly worded editorial from the Southern Metropolis Daily—about how Chen’s cross-regional detention was sending a chill through the media—was allegedly removed by propaganda authorities; the paper then published a different editorial on the case. On October 24, New Express repeated its call for Chen’s release in a small front-page story. Two days later, official media began reporting that Chen had confessed to printing disinformation about Zoomlion in exchange for payment. He was paraded on China Central Television (CCTV) in a prison uniform and confessed on camera, adding to a broader trend of televised statements of guilt or contrition in recent months (see CMB Nos. 93, 94). On October 27, New Express printed a small apology for its earlier statements, reportedly under pressure from authorities. Meanwhile, Zoomlion’s share price tracked its change in fortune, recovering after Chen’s televised confession indicated that the firm would be protected by its government patrons. This is not the only backlash New Express has faced recently for its reporting. On September 30, another detained journalist, Liu Hu, was formally charged with criminal defamation for his coverage of a scandal involving Chongqing officials (see CMB No. 92).

* New Express 10/23/2013: 长沙警方请放人 [Changsha police please release the person]
* China Digital Times 10/22/2013: Guangdong newspaper pleads for journalist’s release (updated)
* China Media Project 10/23/2013: Paper goes public over reporter’s detention
* China Media Project 10/24/2013: The New Express story in today’s papers 
* China Digital Times 10/24/2013: Minitrue: Do not report on Chen Yongzhou’s arrest
* Xinhua 10/26/2013: China exclusive: Detained reporter apologizes for releasing untrue stories
* BBC 10/26/2013: China reporter Chen Yongzhou ‘confesses’ on TV 
* South China Morning Post 10/28/2013: Guangzhou paper apologises for detained reporter’s story
* Bloomberg 10/28/2013: Zoomlion shares rise after daily apologizes: Hong Kong mover 
* Reporters Without Borders 10/11/2013: Detained investigative journalist formally charged with defamation

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Eying foreign companies, state TV rounds on Starbucks and Samsung

In an echo of its campaign against U.S. technology giant Apple in March (see CMB No. 84), state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on October 20 took aim at another American company, the global coffee retailer Starbucks. CCTV reported that based on an investigation conducted by its news correspondents in London, Chicago, and Mumbai, Starbucks charged up to 50 percent more for some of its products in China than in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. After showing footage of Chinese customers complaining about the cost of Starbucks beverages, the 22-minute program concluded in a nationalistic tone that the company’s allegedly exploitative pricing was found only in China. However, on the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo, many netizens said the coverage was unnecessary, and some asked why the station did not investigate more important issues. Others noted that the prices were competitive and worth paying because “the quality makes people feel safe” in China’s scandal-ridden food industry.A Starbucks spokesman said price variations between countries depended on factors like labor costs, rent, and the expense of raw materials. Reuters noted that imported products in China, such as coffee beans, draw importation and sales taxes of 15 and 17 percent, respectively. On October 22, CCTV aired a financial news program that targeted another successful foreign company, Samsung Electronics of South Korea. According to the program, there was a problem with the memory chips of some of Samsung’s smartphone models, causing them to crash, and the flaw was not covered under the company’s warranty. In a statement issued on October 23, Samsung said it would start offering free repairs and other services to its customers in China. State media have singled out a number of foreign firms with large market shares in China in the past year, but the Wall Street Journal noted subtle differences between the attacks. The criticism of Apple, for example, came during CCTV’s primetime newscast, suggesting a higher priority, while the rebuke of Samsung was aired on a less popular show on CCTV-2.

* Quartz 10/22/2013: First Starbucks, now Samsung, China’s state TV goes after foreign firms for ‘bullying’ Chinese customers
* Wall Street Journal 10/21/2013: Starbucks is criticized by Chinese state media for higher prices
* CCTV 10/22/2013: [视频]记者调查：星巴克咖啡中国市场高价 [Video: Investigation: Starbucks coffee costs more in Chinese market]
* Wall Street Journal 10/23/2013: Samsung apologizes to Chinese consumers for handset flaws 
* Samsung China 10/23/2013: 三星(中国)投资有限公司声明 [Samsung (China) Group statement]
* Reuters 10/21/2013: Starbucks is charging higher prices in China, Chinese media claims

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Peking University fires dissident scholar Xia Yeliang

Citing “poor teaching,” China’s prestigious Peking University (PKU) on October 18 dismissed economics professor Xia Yeliang, an outspoken critic of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (see CMB No. 91). The decision was made a week after the school signed a pact with a consortium of Chinese, European, Australian, and American universities in Hefei, Anhui Province, that vowed to uphold academic freedom. A statement posted on PKU’s website claimed that Xia’s teaching performance had been ranked the lowest among the university’s faculty for many years, making the case that the firing was not based on his political views. However, the Wall Street Journal reported on October 25 that the professor, a signer of the prodemocracy manifesto Charter 08, was warned in 2009 to “take good care” of his teaching position. For years he had been barred from appearing on state television, followed by plainclothes police, and repeatedly detained and questioned. Xia said he may be forced to go abroad as a visiting scholar if he could not find another job offer in China. His dismissal was seen as part of widening crackdown on dissent by the new party leadership under President Xi Jinping. Despite the growing scale of cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and foreign universities in recent years, the Chinese political authorities have yielded little control over domestic institutions. “All universities are under the party’s leadership,” Xia lamented. “In Peking University, the No. 1 leader is not the president. It’s the party secretary of Peking University.” Meanwhile, with the notable exception of Massachusetts-based Wellesley College, most of PKU’s foreign partner schools have remained silent about its apparent assault on academic freedom.

* Wall Street Journal 10/25/2013: Xia Yeliang: The China Americans don’t see 
* South China Morning Post 10/23/2013: Expelled scholar Xia Yeliang may have to take US visiting scholarship
* Peking University 10/18/2013: 关于对夏业良终止聘用合同的说明[Statement on termination of contract with Xia Yeliang]
* South China Morning Post 10/15/2013: Nine Chinese universities sign academic freedom pact 
* New York Times 10/21/2013: Beijing’s assault on academic freedom 

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Media coverage muted as Bo Xilai sentence upheld

Since the Intermediate People’s Court in Jinan, Shandong Province, announced in late September that ousted Chongqing Communist Party chief Bo Xilai had been sentenced to life in prison for various counts of corruption (see CMB No. 94), domestic media coverage surrounding the case has dwindled considerably. After the Jinan High People’s Court rejected Bo’s appeal on October 25, the official Xinhua news agency posted a brief announcement that the court was “reaffirming the original sentence of life imprisonment.” The New York Times noted that the higher court offered little information on the hearing compared with the unusually detailed disclosures about the trial in August. Under reported censorship orders, media outlets carried only Xinhua’s articles on the appellate ruling, and pro-Bo comments were allegedly deleted from social media, leaving mostly positive remarks about the sentence. 

* Reuters 10/25/2013: China court upholds life sentence for Bo Xilai 
* New York Times 10/24/2013: Court upholds life sentence for Bo Xilai
* China Digital Times 10/25/2013: Bo Xilai: Out of sight, but not out of mind 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Social media mum on Yuyao flooding, blogger crackdown cited

On October 7, Typhoon Fitow came ashore in southeastern China, dropping the heaviest rainfall in a century on the city of Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, and causing severe flooding. The following week, residents took to the streets after state media falsely reported that all had returned to normal. Several days later, larger crowds decried inadequate relief efforts, demanded the local party secretary’s resignation, and vandalized police cars. On October 15, the authorities sent riot police to quell the demonstrations. Although some news of the developments was shared via the social-media platform Sina Weibo, observers noted that online discussion and the involvement of top opinion leaders was limited compared with other natural disasters over the past year. They attributed the change to the chilling effect of a recent crackdown—including arrests of both prominent and little-known microbloggers—aimed at enforcing strict September judicial guidelines on the dissemination of “online rumors” and other supposedly harmful information (see CMB No. 93). Bloomberg reported that 170,000 items on Yuyao were posted, far fewer than the almost five million posts on an April earthquake and 610,000 regarding Beijing flooding in 2012 (see CMB Nos. 66, 86). Moreover, fewer microbloggers with large followings reposted news, asked sharp questions, or called for government accountability than in the past, while searches for Yuyao and words related to the protests were blocked on Sina Weibo, limiting the spread of such information. However, as traditional media sought to control coverage, they stoked the angry protests, causing Liz Carter of Tea Leaf Nation to ask whether the online censorship had backfired by channeling public frustration onto the street. On October 17, China Central Television (CCTV) promoted its upcoming evening news program on Weibo, promising an investigation of the cause of flooding and apparently linking it to local government failures. But no such story aired, and the preview post was deleted, prompting speculation that the show had been censored at the last minute. In a related incident, on October 15 political cartoonist Wang Liming, also known as Rebel Pepper (see CMB Nos. 52, 72), was detained after posting information about Yuyao and a cartoon depicting a faceoff between police and protesters. The Beijing Times reported that he had been held for spreading rumors but released when authorities determined that there was no “malice” behind his posts. Wang confirmed his release the following day; his name was censored on Sina Weibo during his brief detention.

* Offbeat China 10/11/2013: Unrest in flooded Chinese city Yuyao over untruthful disaster reporting
* Tea Leaf Nation 10/17/2013: Is social media censorship of a deadly flood backfiring?
* Fei Chang Dao 10/19/2013: Cartoonist Wang Liming detained for rumor about Yuyao, Sina Weibo censors searches for ‘Rebel Pepper’ 
* Reuters 10/16/2013: China sends riot police to block new protests by flood victims
* South China Morning Post 10/18/2013: Who censored CCTV’s report on Yuyao’s flood chaos? 
* China Digital Times 10/18/2013: Chill in social media apparent in flood response
* China Digital Times 10/16/2013: Riot police block new protests by flood victims in Yuyao

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HONG KONG

Lack of transparency on TV licensing decision prompts protests

On October 15, the Hong Kong government granted free-to-air television licenses to two applicants—PCCW and I-Cable Communications—in a move that ended the nearly 40-year duopoly of Television Broadcasts (TVB) and Asia Television (ATV) in the territory (see CMB No. 87). However, officials rejected an application filed by startup operator Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV) without immediate explanation, raising concerns that the government had favored large businesses with vested interests in the political status quo. Both PCCW and I-Cable are controlled by billionaire tycoons with close ties to the central government in Beijing. The announcement and lack of transparency surrounding the criteria for the decision prompted a protest by at least 36,000 people on October 20. Many expressed discontent with Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and said the licensing decision had undermined the territory’s freedom of speech and rule of law. On October 25, tens of thousands of protesters rallied outside the government headquarters to demand an explanation, but Leung refused to provide any information, citing pending court challenges. HKTV chairman Ricky Wong Wai-kay said the decision was “unjust.” He noted that his company had spent more than HK$900 million before its application was turned down, and warned that it would be forced to cut 320 jobs by the end of October. Press freedom advocates have long questioned the constitutionality and selective application of existing procedures for granting licenses to new media outlets, as the decisions are made by the executive branch rather than an independent regulatory body.

* South China Morning Post 10/25/2013: Thousands of protesters demand answers on HKTV decision
* Bloomberg 10/26/2013: Hong Kong protesters press Leung to issue TV license 
* ZDNet 10/25/2013: What TV licensing decision means for Hong Kong media freedom
* South China Morning Post 10/17/2013: Public outcry over rejection of Ricky Wong’s free-to-air TV license bid
* Standard 10/16/2013: Jolted by ‘unfair contest,’ Ricky Wong demands answers to TV license denial after sinking HK$900mi

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TIBET & XINJIANG

Tibetan writers arrested, woman held for WeChat messages

According to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, the Chinese authorities on October 11–12 detained three Tibetan writers who had provided outside observers with information about conditions in Driru (Biru) County, Nagchu (Naqu) Prefecture, in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The government said they were detained for carrying out “political activities aimed at destroying social stability and dividing the Chinese homeland.” The authorities had recently ordered Driru residents to fly the Chinese flag from their homes, setting off protests and a deadly crackdown by security forces. Tsultrim Gyaltsen, known by the pen name Shokdril and formerly the editor of a Tibetan-language magazine, New Generation, was detained on October 11 in Driru. His computer, mobile telephone, and other belongings were confiscated from his home. An associate, Yulgal, was taken the next day. Kalsang Choedhar, a monk from Palyul monastery in eastern Tibet, was also detained on October 12, and his whereabouts remained unknown. Separately, the overseas Tibetan news site Phayul reported that a Tibetan woman named Kalsang from Driru had been arrested on October 11 for expressing “anti-China” sentiments on WeChat, a popular Chinese mobile-phone messaging platform that strictly adheres to Beijing’s censorship rules (see CMB No. 92). She also allegedly stored photos of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and banned Tibetan-language songs on her phone. Phayul noted that an increasing number of dissidents relied on WeChat for communications, raising concerns that this could facilitate Chinese government surveillance.

* Reporters Without Borders 10/16/2023: Wave of arrests contributes to Tibet’s growing isolation
* Phayul 10/17/2013: WeChat leads to Tibetan woman’s arrest in Driru
* Radio Free Asia 10/11/2013: Four Tibetans shot dead as protests spread in Driru county

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Police arrest scores of Uighur netizens for ‘jihad’ talk

Xinjiang Daily, a Chinese state-run paper, reported on October 8 that from June 26 to August 31, police in Xinjiang had investigated 256 people for allegedly spreading “online rumors,” 139 of whom were said to have disseminated information about jihad or other religious ideas. Some 110 people were reportedly detained. Xinjiang’s ethnic Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language and are predominantly Muslim, have long been subjected to cultural and religious repression. They frequently face arbitrary detention and arrest for activities, including peaceful religious practice, that the Chinese authorities view as incitement to separatism and religious militancy (see CMB No. 89). The latest crackdown was associated with a nationwide campaign to punish internet users for spreading “online rumors” (see CMB No. 93). According to Xinjiang Daily, one of those arrested was a schoolteacher who had produced video clips promoting religious extremism that were widely viewed and shared on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo. Another was a farmer who had allegedly uploaded e-books containing separatist materials to a website he created, allowing thousands of others to download them. However, the paper did not describe the exact nature of the allegedly incriminating materials, and the government generally prevents foreign journalists and independent researchers from accessing the region, making verification of such allegations difficult. Dilxat Raxit, a spokesperson for the exiled World Uyghur Congress, said the latest accusations were a “total distortion of the truth” that formed part of a larger campaign to “suppress Uighurs’ use of the internet to obtain information and express different points of view.” He said those detained had merely “expressed discontent with Chinese rule and systematic repression in the area.”

* BBC 10/8/2013: China arrests 110 in Xinjiang for spreading online rumours
* Agence France-Presse 10/8/2013: Xinjiang police arrest 139 people for ‘spreading religious extremism including jihad’
* Reuters 10/8/2013: China police target online ‘jihad’ talk amid rumor crackdown
* Xinhua 10/8/2013: 新疆警方查处139人传播"圣战"等宗教极端思想 [Xinjiang police detain 139 people for spreading extremism including 'jihad'] 

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BEYOND CHINA

American historian accepts censorship to publish book in China

The New York Times on October 19 reported that historian Ezra F. Vogel, a professor emeritus at Harvard University, had yielded to Chinese censorship in order to publish his work in the country. As a result, several passages were excised from the mainland Chinese translation of his book, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, a biography of the so-called paramount leader who had presided over China’s economic reforms in the 1980s as well as the brutal crackdown on prodemocracy protesters in 1989. Among the censored lines were references to Deng’s preoccupation with the 1989 student protesters while dining with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and an official order instructing Chinese newspapers not to cover the collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe. Explaining his decision, Vogel said, “I thought it was better to have 90 percent of the book available here than zero.” Many foreign writers have made similar choices, the Times reported, as have Hollywood film studios and other content producers seeking access to the huge Chinese market (see CMB No. 87). Although Vogel said he was satisfied with the outcome of his experience with Chinese censorship, St. Louis–based novelist Qiu Xiaolong told the Times that changes had been made to his books without his consent, leading him to decide not to publish his latest novel in China.

* New York Times 10/19/2013: Authors accept censors’ rules to sell in China 
* Guardian 10/22/2013: Author bows to Chinese censorship of his Deng Xiaoping biography
* Harvard Crimson 10/8/2013: Professor discussing publishing in China

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Overlooking censorship, foreign media leaders flock to Chinese summit

On October 10, representatives of China’s state-run media and leaders from international outlets such as the Associated Press, Reuters, the New York Times, the BBC, and Kyodo News gathered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, for a presidium meeting of the World Media Summit, a Chinese-organized event first held in 2009. The 2013 meeting was chaired by Li Congjun, head of the official Xinhua news agency and a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee. Aside from the 2012 summit in Moscow, past gatherings have all been held in China (see CMB No. 34). While the latest meeting was widely covered in the Chinese media—garnering a special section on Xinhua’s website—it received scant mention elsewhere. David Bandurski of Hong Kong University’s China Media Project characterized the summit as “the media event that all major global media players attend but none bother to actually cover,” suggesting that this was due to the foreign delegates’ embarrassment at associating themselves with the Chinese government’s extensive censorship and suppression of media freedom. Indeed, a number of the participating outlets have faced website blocking and other major reporting obstacles in China. Bandurski argues that the summit grew out of top party leaders’ desire to influence international coverage of China rather than to resolve challenges facing global media. This year’s meeting took place at a particularly ironic moment as the Chinese authorities engage in a crackdown on free expression. Li Congjun himself authored an article in the People’s Daily last month that Bandurski calls “one of the most hardline pieces on the CCP’s press control priorities to appear in China in recent years.” As part of its coverage of the meeting, Xinhua made two announcements: that the group was discussing the launch of a new global journalism prize, and that the 2014 summit would be hosted by the New York Times. The paper’s website has been blocked in China since it published a Pulitzer-winning exposé on former premier Wen Jiabao’s family assets.

* China Media Project 10/11/2013: Your only report on the World Media Summit
* Xinhua 10/10/2013: New York Times to host 3rd World Media Summit
* China Scope 10/10/2013: The second presidium meeting of the World Media Summit

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Beijing blocks criticism at UN rights review

On October 22, the UN Human Rights Council examined China’s human rights performance since 2009 as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, in which each country is assessed every four years. Civil society groups from around the world submitted their shadow reports on China to the council for the UPR meeting. However, in the lead-up to the event, Beijing increased internet censorship and carried out arbitrary detentions to obstruct Chinese activists who sought to participate in the UPR process. Prominent rights defender Cao Shunli was detained on September 14 at a Beijing airport before she could board a plane to Geneva to take part in the UN gathering. Chinese authorities confirmed on October 21 that Cao had been charged with “unlawful assembly.” Another activist, Chen Jiangfang, was also reportedly stopped from flying to Geneva. During the UPR meeting, a total of 141 states contributed their comments on China, but the vast majority reportedly used similar rhetoric that praised the regime for its treatment of rural citizens, efforts on environmental protection, and in some cases even for its notorious internet censorship apparatus, leading to speculation that Beijing had orchestrated the laudatory remarks to bury criticism. Although some states, including the United States, Britain, and Canada, did voice grave concerns regarding the Chinese government’s severe human rights violations, each was forced to present its extensive list of recommendations in a 50-second time slot due to the large volume of states submitting comments. 

* Voice of America 10/22/2013: China to appear before UN Human Rights Council
* Universal Periodic Review—China
* Washington Free Beacon 10/22/2013: West criticizes, China defends human rights record at U.N. 
* Huffington Post 10/24/2013: Wide acclaim for China’s state-centered, collective human rights
* UN News Centre 10/16/2013: UN experts alarmed by reprisals against Chinese human rights activists
* Amnesty International UK 10/24/2013: [CHRB] Cao Shunli’s detention confirmed, crackdown expands as China touts ‘Achievements’ at UN review (10/17-23, 2013)

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

U.S. congressional panel holds hearing on Guo Feixiong, freedom of expression

On October 29, a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing titled “Guo Feixiong and Freedom of Expression in China.” It focused on the detention in August of Guo (see CMB No. 92), a prominent rights advocate from Guangzhou. He had called for officials to declare their assets and publicly supported demands for greater press freedom after journalists at the Southern Weekly went on strike in January. He was previously imprisoned for five years, from 2006 to 2011, and was reportedly tortured in custody. Among other witnesses, Guo’s wife and daughter and exiled legal activist Chen Guangcheng gave testimony. Their submissions and a video of the hearing are available at the link below.

* House Foreign Affairs Committee 10/29/2013: Subcommittee hearing: Guo Feixiong and freedom of expression in China 
 

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China
 
Issue No. 96: November 12, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* News outlets hype vague reform plans during closed party plenum 
* Chinese journalist wins Transparency International prize
* Tencent seeks U.S. app stake as Chinese competition heats up
* Bloomberg halts articles on Chinese leadership, self-censorship alleged
* Reuters journalist denied visa to reenter China

Photo of the Week: Bloomberg News on Its Knees

Credit: NMA World Edition

OTHER HEADLINES
* State media limit reporting, commentary on Tiananmen explosion
* Hong Kong ballet alterations raise censorship concerns
* Taiwanese singer’s flag display sparks Chinese netizen backlash
* Unable to leave China, Ai Weiwei continues international artistic engagement
* U.S. scholar delves into practices of Confucius Institutes

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

News outlets hype vague reform plans during closed party plenum 

From November 9 to 12, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee chosen one year ago held its third plenum. The closed meeting in Beijing was attended by hundreds of the party’s top officials. Historically, third plenum meetings under a new leadership have been important moments signaling future policy directions and potential reforms. Most dramatically, the 1978 plenum led by Deng Xiaoping marked the beginning of China’s economic transformation following the death of Mao Zedong. Although they lacked concrete details of the meeting’s agenda, CCP-run media and other outlets ran various commentaries and supplements before and during the conclave, touting the need for some reform, mostly in the economic and social spheres. On November 10, the CCP mouthpiece People’s Daily ran a front-page editorial implying that any reforms would be an uphill battle, prompting conflicting interpretations by foreign media. The relatively liberal and commercializedBeijing News, meanwhile, published a 96-page report titled “Reform: Setting Off Again.” Its cover showed a ship navigating dangerous waters, and it listed 12 areas where reforms need to “crash through a barrier,” including “land transfers,” “social welfare,” and “household registration.” The CCP leadership has made clear that changes to the political system are neither under consideration nor open to debate, but the Beijing News obliquely cited the need for “administrative” changes to decentralize power and urged a loosening of restrictions on “social organizations,” an apparent reference to civil society. The first statement released after the conclusion of the plenum on November 12 did little to clarify what decisions had been made. Several economic experts complained of its vague language and mixed signals, as it declared that markets will play a “decisive” role while also acknowledging the importance of state-owned enterprises and the CCP’s leadership. In what has become a routine byproduct of high-level party meetings, petitioners and activists suffered tighter restrictions surrounding the plenum (see CMB No. 82). Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported on November 7 that “police and local governments across the mainland have been rounding up petitioners, keeping activists under close watch, and warning rights lawyers to keep a low profile.”

* Wall Street Journal 11/10/2013: Reformers stagger out of gate in Beijing 
* South China Morning Post 11/10/2013: Chinese media build expectations of reforms at key meeting
* New York Times 11/8/2013: Reform, ahoy? A newspaper heralds new horizons for the Chinese ship of state
* South China Morning Post 11/8/2013: Petitioners ‘living in fear’ as police crack down ahead of third plenum
* Wall Street Journal 11/12/2013: China endorses ‘decisive’ role for markets as plenum concludes
* People’s Daily 11/10/2013: 那么一股子劲不能松 [Keep up the spirit] 

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State media limit reporting, commentary on Tiananmen explosion

The Chinese government made an orchestrated effort to control reporting on a car crash and explosion on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square that killed five people and injured 38 others on October 28. Though the incident took place in the country’s most symbolic public space, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) did not initially mention it, and the U.S.-based Cable News Network (CNN) was reportedly blacked out in China when it ran footage of the aftermath. Several Chinese newspapers noted the incident by reposting a brief statement published by the official Xinhua news agency. According to Xinhua, a jeep carrying three people had crashed into a crowd of pedestrians before it burst into flames. The relatively liberal Guangdong-based Southern Metropolis Daily released an interview with a Filipino student who was injured by the car. However, along with hundreds of online postings on the topic, it was quickly removed from the internet. After two days of silence, on October 30, Xinhua offered an update on the investigation, claiming that the incident was a well-planned act of terrorism by Uighur Islamic extremists (see CMB No. 95). Commentaries on the CNN website raised doubts about the official account, with one suggesting that the alleged attack could have been “a hastily assembled cry of desperation from a people on the extreme margins of the Chinese state’s monstrous development machine.” Other foreign media and human rights groups similarly urged caution in drawing conclusions from official information. State media soon began heavily criticizing Americans and CNN in particular. “CNN is way out of line this time,” said the Communist Party’sGlobal Times newspaper. CCTV alleged that CNN had an ulterior motive and was attempting to justify terrorist crimes. An online petition urging the Chinese government to expel CNN from the country reportedly collected over 140,000 signatures. Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur professor at Beijing Central Nationalities University and founder of the minority rights website Uyghur Online, said he had been increasingly harassed by the police as he spoke to foreign reporters about the Tiananmen incident. When Tohti confronted security agents who had rear-ended his car on November 2, indicating that his two small children could have been hurt, the men reportedly said, “We don’t care,” and repeatedly threatened to kill his whole family. On November 6, another explosion took place near a government building in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, killing one person and injuring eight. For unknown reasons, online censors appeared to let users speculate freely on that incident.

* CNN 10/30/2013: China censors pounce as Tiananmen Square jeep deaths investigated
* Washington Post 10/28/2013: China censors news of an SUV plowing into a crowd in Tiananmen Square, killing five 
* Washington Post 11/8/2013: Why 140,000 Chinese people want to kick out CNN
* BBC 11/4/2013: China media: Tiananmen Square crash
* CNN 10/31/2013: Tiananmen crash: Terrorism or cry of desperation?
* Freedom House 11/4/2013: Be skeptical of the official story on the Tiananmen car crash
* New York Times 11/4/2013: Uighur scholar in ugly confrontation with security agents
* Global Times 11/4/2013: 社评：CNN表现了部分美国人的阴暗心理 [Editorial: CNN shows the dark mentality of most American people]
* Tea Leaf Nation 11/7/2013: Why isn’t China censoring chatter about its latest bomb attack? 

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Chinese journalist wins Transparency International prize

On November 8, the Berlin-based anticorruption organization Transparency International (TI) issued an Integrity Award to Chinese investigative journalist Luo Changping. An Angolan journalist also received an Integrity Award for 2013. Luo, a deputy editor at the liberal Caijingnewsmagazine, is the first Chinese citizen to receive the prize, which celebrates extraordinary antigraft activism. Risking his personal safety and career, he had used his microblog account to publish detailed allegations of financial and personal wrongdoing by Liu Tienan, a former vice chairman of China’s powerful economic planning agency (see CMB No. 87). Caijing itself had reportedly been reluctant to identify Liu by name. The official was eventually expelled from the Communist Party in August, after the authorities launched an investigation based on the reporter’s exposé. However, Luo’s microblog account was reportedly shuttered to prevent him from releasing further information. In an interview with Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post published on November 8, Luo advised his fellow Chinese investigative reporters not to use their real names for safety reasons, though he acknowledged that maintaining a certain visibility can be a means of self-protection. In keeping with the government’s broader efforts to suppress independent anticorruption activity (see CMB Nos. 92, 93), the Central Propaganda Department reportedly issued a directive on November 2 that instructed all media outlets in China to avoid reporting or commenting on TI’s plans to grant Luo its prestigious award.

* South China Morning Post 11/8/2013: Award-winning journalist Luo Changping on the state of Chinese media
* Transparency International 11/8/2013: Luo Changping: Journalist—China
* China Digital Times 11/5/2013: Minitrue: Luo Changping may win integrity award

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Tencent seeks U.S. app stake as Chinese competition heats up 

The Chinese social-media giant Tencent has reportedly submitted a bid to purchase $200 million worth of shares in Snapchat, a popular California-based messaging application. Tencent is attempting to expand the overseas presence of its WeChat messaging app, which already has about 100 million users outside China, and the involvement with Snapchat was seen as a means of learning more about the coveted U.S. market. In China, where it has about 350 million users, WeChat is facing new competition from Laiwang, a similar app launched by Alibaba, another internet giant best known for its e-commerce sites. Tencent was accused of obstructing a November 1 promotional campaign by Laiwang, with thousands of WeChat users reporting that Tencent’s security software was blocking their attempts to join the rival service. Chinese internet firms have often accused one another of unfair, anticompetitive practices (see CMB No. 73). Meanwhile, many popular foreign services, such as Facebook and Twitter, continue to be blocked in China due to their noncompliance with official censorship rules. News of Twitter’s successful stock offering on November 7 sparked a wide range of comments on Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese microblogging platform. Many netizens, responding to the news with satire, wondered how a “nonexistent” website could go public and raise $24 billion from investors.

* Diplomat 11/7/2013: China’s Tencent woos Silicon Valley with Snapchat bid
* South China Morning Post 11/8/2013: Frustrated Chinese bloggers greet Twitter’s successful IPO with satire
* Tech in Asia 11/1/2013: More chat app silliness: Tencent allegedly blocks invites to Laiwang on rival app WeChat 

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HONG KONG

Ballet alterations raise censorship concerns

The publicly funded Hong Kong Ballet recently came under fire after it allegedly censored part of the Dream of the Red Chamber, a coproduction with Germany’s Ballet Dortmund. According to Global Voices, before the October 25 premiere at the city’s Cultural Centre, the Hong Kong Ballet removed a scene that depicted paramilitary Red Guards destroying “old China” objects during the traumatic Cultural Revolution period. For some performances, the group also altered a 12-minute projection that showed different stages of Chinese history by taking out a scene of Red Guards waving copies of the “little red book”—a compilation of quotes by Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong. Hong Kong Ballet claimed that the decisions were made for technical reasons, adding that it had consent from Ballet Dortmund’s artistic director Wang Xin Peng, who had choreographed the show. However, Wang told Ming Pao newspaper that he was not aware of the changes until the day after the premiere, which was attended by Zhang Xiaoming, the head of Beijing’s Hong Kong Liaison Office. On November 8, the home affairs committee of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (Legco) decided to invite—but not require—the ballet group to explain at a regular session in December whether it had encountered political pressure from the central government. Foreign performers have encountered difficulties in Hong Kong before. In 2010, partly due to the troupe’s portrayals of Beijing’s persecution of Falun Gong members, the technical staff of the U.S.-based Shen Yun Performing Arts company were denied visas to enter Hong Kong for scheduled shows, forcing their cancelation.

* South China Morning Post 11/9/2013: No special Legco inquiry into Hong Kong Ballet ‘censorship’ row
* Global Voices 10/31/2013: Ballett Dortmund’s red dream ballet censored in Hong Kong
* Ming Pao 11/3/2013: 王新鹏﹕没有同意删戏《红》剧原创者反驳港芭说法 [Wang Xin Peng: Did not agree to alter red show; choreographer refutes Hong Kong ballet claim]

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BEYOND CHINA

Bloomberg halts articles on Chinese leadership, self-censorship alleged

The New York Times reported on November 8 that editors at Bloomberg News had recently blocked publication of an investigative report on the financial ties between a wealthy tycoon and the families of top Chinese leaders, as well as an article on foreign banks’ hiring of the children of Chinese leaders, known as “princelings.” Bloomberg editor in chief Matthew Winkler reportedly made the decision to halt the first article after it had already been reviewed and approved by Bloomberg’s lawyers and editors. According to the Times, Winkler explained in an internal conference call with the journalists on October 29 that Bloomberg could run the risk of being “kicked out of China.” He also reportedly compared the company’s situation to that of foreign media outlets operating in Nazi Germany, which were forced to self-censor in order to remain in the country. Winkler later denied that the two stories had been permanently spiked, but did not publicly discuss the conference call. The incidents were first disclosed on November 7 in an animated video produced by Hong Kong’s Next Media, whose news outlets are often critical of the Chinese Communist Party. The Bloomberg News website has been blocked in China since it published a series of reports in 2012 on the wealth and financial ties of top Chinese leaders and their families (see CMB No. 63). Chinese officials also reportedly ordered some Chinese companies not to subscribe to Bloomberg’s financial news terminal service, the company’s main business. According to an October 22 report by Freedom House analyst Sarah Cook, many international media outlets have faced repercussions for publishing stories that the Chinese authorities consider sensitive. In addition to the website blocking, their journalists are often unable to renew residency visas (see below), and their computer systems have been subject to cyberattacks and infiltration (see CMB No. 80). 

* Quartz 11/11/2013: Is Bloomberg killing investigative stories to stay in China?
* Financial Times 11/10/2013: Bloomberg quashes report to stay in China
* New York Times 11/8/2013: Bloomberg news is said to curb articles that might anger China 
* NMA World Edition 11/7/2013: Bloomberg News curtails investigative reporting in China, sources tell NMA
* South China Morning Post 11/10/2013: Bloomberg news service censoring stories about China, journalists claim
* Sarah Cook 10/22/2013: The long shadow of Chinese censorship 

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Reuters journalist denied visa to reenter China

In its latest move to restrict foreign media outlets (see above), the Chinese government on November 8 denied the visa application of Paul Mooney, a prominent journalist known for his award-winning writing about human rights issues in China. According to his employer, the U.S.-based Thomson Reuters news agency, China’s Foreign Ministry did not explain its decision, which came after an eight-month delay. Mooney had last left China in September 2012 after his former employer, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, decided not to renew his contract for what he said were political reasons (see CMB No. 63). Mooney was called in for an interview by the Chinese consulate in San Francisco after he submitted the visa application. He said he was asked about his stance on the Tibet issue, Western media bias, and exiled Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng, with whom he had briefly worked on a book project that was called off in April. The consular officers reportedly told him, “If we give you a visa, we hope you’ll be more balanced with your coverage.” Mooney did not blame Reuters for its inability to secure his visa, conceding that no international news organization was currently in a position to exert significant pressure on Beijing, given its economic clout. Other foreign media outlets have also reported difficulty in obtaining visas for their journalists. Bloomberg and the New York Times have not had any new resident journalist visas approved since 2012, when they published reports on the family wealth of top Chinese leaders and had their websites blocked by Chinese censors.

* New York Times 11/9/2013: Reporter for Reuters won’t receive China visa
* Wall Street Journal 11/10/2013: In latest press restriction, China denies visa to U.S. reporter
* Apple Daily 11/10/2013: 疑報導西藏人權問題　美記者遭拒發陸簽證 [China denies visa to U.S. journalist reportedly for report on Tibetan human rights issues]

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Taiwanese singer’s flag display sparks Chinese netizen backlash

After popular Taiwanese musician Deserts Chang displayed the flag of the Republic of China (ROC) on stage at a November 2 concert in Manchester, England, her scheduled concert tour in China was canceled. During her performance at the University of Manchester, attended mostly by Taiwanese and Chinese students, Chang had held up a flag brought by a group of fans sitting in the front row, and said she had “not felt so patriotic for a while.” An audience member then shouted, “There are students from mainland here. No politics today!” Chang denied that her gesture was a political act and said she welcomed different opinions. The show concluded without further disruptions, but many fans turned to the Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo to criticize Chang for “declaring Taiwan’s independence.” The ROC flag was used in China before the Communist Party took power in 1949, and it remains in use in democratic Taiwan. Although the banner is not associated with the movement to declare Taiwan’s formal independence, it is a reminder that the island remains outside Beijing’s control. Popular Taiwanese singers and actors typically refrain from discussing political topics that the Chinese Communist Party considers sensitive, as they seek to gain exposure in the Chinese market. Despite the heated debate on the internet, Chinese state media remained unusually silent on the Chang incident. On November 5, in response to the reported cancelation of her December concert in Beijing, Chang said on her Facebook account that she was willing to accept the losses and end the controversy, writing, “I am not singing to make money and harm people at the same time.”

* Wen Wei Po 11/8/2013: 青天白日旗致張懸大陸演唱會取消 [Deserts Chang’s concert tour in China canceled due to ROC flag] 
* Diplomat 11/8/2013: Taiwanese singer-songwriter draws criticism over flag display
* BBC 11/8/2013: Taiwan singer’s flag display sparks row 
* Telegraph 11/7/2013: Taiwan singer upsets China with flag stunt 

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Unable to leave China, Ai Weiwei continues international artistic engagement 

Dissident Chinese artist and blogger Ai Weiwei has remained active on the international art scene despite his government-imposed travel ban (see CMB No. 69). In an interview with Agence France-Presse published on November 5, Ai said his passport was still being held by the Chinese authorities, which prevented him from attending the Stockholm Film Festival in Sweden. Organizers of the festival, which was scheduled to run from November 5 to 17, had invited him to join its jury panel. To protest his forced absence, Ai sent a wooden chair to the venue with a special bar that would prevent anyone from sitting in it, recalling the empty chair of jailed democracy advocate Liu Xiaobo, who was unable to attend the award ceremony for his 2010 Nobel Peace Prize (see CMB No. 3). In a prerecorded video played at the festival’s opening news conference on November 5, Ai said, “I hope it can give some kind of statement on the way authorities can limit freedom of speech, can limit basic human rights for artists to travel or participate in cultural activities—very ruthlessly and with no explanation.” He added, “I'm still living under a kind of soft detention.” On the same day, he was absent from a show in Hong Kong’s Central district that he had curated, featuring the work of 13 local artists. Ai was detained without charge in April 2011 and held for 81 days in an apparent punishment for his outspoken criticism of the Communist Party. He was later hit with a massive tax penalty and remains under close government surveillance (see CMB No. 73).

* AFP 11/6/2013: Ai Weiwei sends defiant message to China at Sweden film fest
* Hollywood Reporter 11/6/2013: Ai Weiwei sends empty chair to Stockholm Film Fest in protest
* Wall Street Journal 11/8/2013: Ai Weiwei ‘frames’ Hong Kong artists

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

U.S. scholar delves into practices of Confucius Institutes

On October 29, the Nation published a lengthy article, titled “China U.,” about China’s global network of state-sponsored educational programs, known as Confucius Institutes. The author, retired University of Chicago anthropologist Marshall Sahlins, adeptly reviews a series of incidents in recent years that have raised concerns about the impact that the institutes—embedded within American and Canadian universities, among others—have had on academic inquiry and hiring practices. Drawing on numerous interviews and a thorough analysis of relevant documents, Sahlins especially highlights the lack of transparency—and at times deliberate subterfuge—surrounding aspects of the Confucius Institutes’ contracts and operations.

* Nation 10/29/2013: China U.

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 97: December 4, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Fired CCTV producer denounces station’s practices
* Despite reported self-censorship, Bloomberg stays in Beijing’s doghouse
* Censors limit coverage of Qingdao pipeline blast
* Netizens wary of plans for new national security committee
* Zimbabwe’s ruling party sends team to China for media cooperation

Photo of the Week: Four-Letter Word

OTHER HEADLINES
* Chinese media assess departing U.S. ambassador Locke
* Liu Xia letter reaches foreign media, Liu Xiaobo seeks retrial
* Microbloggers face widespread suspensions for content violations
* Japan phone app censors users in China, Skype said to reduce censorship
* Graduation blocked for Xinjiang students with ‘incorrect’ political views

Printable Version

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Fired CCTV producer denounces station’s practices

Wang Qinglei, a producer who had been with state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) for 10 years, was forced to resign on November 27 after he questioned the station’s journalistic ethics. In a December 1 microblog posting, Wang confirmed his departure and criticized CCTV for aiding the government’s aggressive campaign to rein in influential bloggers, including Chinese-American businessman Charles Xue, whose jailhouse “confession” was aired by the station in September (see CMB No. 93). Wang said the broadcaster essentially served as an accomplice by helping the authorities punish individuals without legal basis. “The news media is not a court,” he wrote. He also lashed out at CCTV for running “embarrassing” and unprofessional reports against the U.S.-based coffee retailer Starbucks (see CMB No. 95), among other topics. Wang said his views were shared by many of his colleagues at the station, but managers used actions like his firing to keep them in line. Wang’s open letter was shared 30,000 times within hours before it was removed by the microblogging platform Sina Weibo. News articles that had mentioned his resignation were also censored on popular web portals. Though it receives strong government support and funding, viewership of CCTV’s news programming has declined in recent years, especially among internet users. A recent survey by popular Chinese web portal Netease showed that 60 percent of respondents do not watch CCTV’s flagship evening news program. A Weibo post on the results by the international web portal Kdnet was quickly deleted.

* South China Morning Post 12/2/2013: Dismissed CCTV producer Wang Qinglei slams censorship
* Reuters 12/2/2013: China journalist slams state TV for airing public confession
* Deutsche Welle 12/2/2013: 央视制片人王青雷离职，“真话”遭封杀 [CCTV producer Wang Qinglei forced to quit for speaking truth]
* China Media Project 11/13/2013: Who watches CCTV Nightly News?

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Despite reported self-censorship, Bloomberg stays in Beijing’s doghouse

Bloomberg News has continued to face scrutiny from Chinese authorities since reports surfaced in early November that its editor in chief, Matthew Winkler, had blocked a 2,500-word investigative report on the financial ties between a Chinese billionaire and the families of senior government officials. In an exclusive report published on December 2, the U.S.-based Fortune magazine said that several Chinese officials paid unannounced visits to Bloomberg News bureaus in Beijing and Shanghai in late November. Details of the “inspections” remained unclear, but at least one of the officials allegedly asked for an apology for Winkler’s reported assertion that Bloomberg had to self-censor to remain in China just as other foreign outlets did in Nazi Germany (see CMB No. 96). Rob Hutton, a Bloomberg reporter who had flown to China to cover British prime minister David Cameron’s official visit, was barred from a December 2 press event held by Cameron and Chinese premier Li Keqiang. According to the Financial Times, Bloomberg has generally been excluded from official Chinese press conferences since it published a series of articles in 2012 on the family wealth of top government officials, despite the fact that those and some other Bloomberg articles were branded with the company’s “Code 204” designation, which prevents them from appearing on its financial terminals in China. Meanwhile, the websites of Bloomberg News and the New York Times continue to be blocked in China. On November 13, the Times’ affiliated lifestyle publication T Magazine was briefly blocked after the newspaper exposed business links between U.S. financial firm JP Morgan Chase and Wen Ruchun, daughter of former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. The Chinese-language websites of Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, which had published similar stories, were also blocked and remain inaccessible.

* CNN Money 12/2/2013: Exclusive: Chinese authorities conduct unannounced ‘inspections’ of Bloomberg News bureaus
* Financial Times 12/2/2013: UK protests after China bars Bloomberg reporter from press event
* Reporters Without Borders 11/15/2013: China blocks Reuters and Wall Street Journal sites
* Tea Leaf Nation 11/13/2013: Did the New York Times just get blocked in China—again?
* China Digital Times 12/2/2013: Discussion of Wen’s daughter censored
* New York Times 11/28/2013: Bloomberg code keeps articles from Chinese eyes
* Next Media 11/18/2013: Bloomberg News suspends reporter Michael Forsythe over alleged leaks (video)

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Censors limit coverage of Qingdao pipeline blast

Chinese authorities have sought to restrict media coverage of a deadly oil pipeline explosion on November 22 in the coastal city of Qingdao that killed over 50 people and injured scores more. The explosion came seven hours after a leak was discovered, and the large number of casualties raised questions as to whether the authorities adequately warned or evacuated local residents. A leaked November 24 directive from the Central Propaganda Department strictly prohibited media from dispatching reporters to the site of the disaster, discussing the possible cause and responsible parties, or publishing summaries of past accidents. While some Beijing media were more critical of the local government’s emergency response, Qingdao’s own media either chose to remain silent the day after the accident or praised officials for visiting the victims. After President Xi Jinping’s visit on November 24, local newspapers were filled with positive coverage of blood donations and the provision of food and medical care. Meanwhile, some residents continued to protest five days after the blast, asking to be relocated. Qingdao party secretary Li Qun reportedly said at a November 27 meeting near the scene of the accident that the government should “strike hard against criminal behavior” and “scour the land investigating people to find lawbreakers deceiving others with rumors.” Netizens criticized the remarks, saying he was putting political interests above public safety.

* Offbeat China 11/27/2013: Qingdao media’s reporting on oil pipeline blast draws criticism
* New York Times 11/25/2013: Evacuation questions after China pipe blast
* China Digital Times 12/2/2013: Li Qun: Maintain stability after Qingdao explosion
* China Digital Times 11/25/2013: Minitrue: Qingdao oil pipeline explosion
* Wall Street Journal 11/25/2013: Xi Jinping: Zero-tolerance over pipeline violations

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Chinese media assess departing U.S. ambassador Locke

On November 20, after Gary Locke announced his resignation as U.S. ambassador to China to rejoin his family in the United States, several Chinese media outlets published articles on the departure of the first Chinese American to hold the position, in many cases praising him for his humble demeanor. Locke had attained high popularity among ordinary Chinese since he began his stint in Beijing in August 2011 (see CMB Nos. 34, 40). The Beijing News on November 21 ran a full-page report about Locke, which included a famous photo of him carrying a backpack and buying his own coffee. “Although some people have criticized Gary Locke for putting on a ‘show,’ a lot of Chinese people still like him,” the article says. On the same day, an editorial in the Communist Party’s Global Times, which is usually critical of foreign officials and had previously rebuked local journalists for “romanticizing” the envoy, also acknowledged his performance and said it “shouldn’t be given a low mark.” The Chinese authorities did not heavily censor newspaper mentions of political dramas that took place during Locke’s tenure. Incidents such as former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun’s “defection” to the U.S. consulate in Chengdu and the U.S. embassy’s protection of blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng were broadly included in the coverage, though Locke’s controversial October 2012 visit to Tibet was not mentioned (see CMB No. 74). As print media focused on Locke’s legacy, Chinese netizens expressed more interest in the reason for his departure. “The haze in Beijing is so bad that Gary Locke couldn’t take it anymore,” one user suggested on the Sina Weibo microblogging platform. 

* BBC 11/21/2013: China media: US ambassador Gary Locke’s legacy
* South China Morning Post 11/21/2013: Gary Locke receives kind parting words from old foe Global Times
* Global Times 11/21/2013: Locke controversy stems from Chinese expectation
* Wall Street Journal 11/20/2013: China’s internet users bid adieu to U.S. ambassador Gary Locke

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Liu Xia letter reaches foreign media, Liu Xiaobo seeks retrial

A July letter from Liu Xia, the wife of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democracy advocate Liu Xiaobo, was published by the New York Times on November 29. Although the letter was addressed to a friend, its release represented a rare personal communication with the outside world for a woman who has been under extralegal house arrest since her husband won the Nobel in 2010 (see CMB Nos. 76, 86). She writes in the missive of extreme isolation and depression, but says she finds solace in voracious reading, specifically citing a history of the Soviet gulag. Separately, Liu Xiaobo’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, told Radio Free Asia on November 18 that his client had agreed to file a new appeal of his 2009 conviction and 11-year prison sentence for “incitement to subvert state power.” Prison officials have denied Liu access to his legal team, but he reportedly agreed to the appeal during an October visit by his wife. Mo said his family members had been hesitant to seek a retrial before because Liu Xia’s brother Liu Hui was facing his own trial, and they did not want to anger the authorities. However, Liu Hui was sentenced to 11 years in prison for fraud in June (see CMB No. 88), and the judgment was upheld after an appeal in August. Mo said Liu Xiaobo’s new appeal would be a test of the Communist Party’s commitment to legal reforms announced after a Central Committee plenum held in mid-November (see below, CMB No. 96). The leadership said in a reform blueprint released on November 15 that the country’s judicial and prosecutorial powers would be exercised independently and fairly in accordance with the rule of law. However, legal experts have warned that the vague proposals are unlikely to end political control over the courts, particularly in high-profile cases, and that Liu had already exhausted his opportunities for appeal.

* New York Times 11/29/2013: Isolation under house arrest for wife of imprisoned Nobel laureate
* Wall Street Journal 11/19/2013: Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo to seek retrial
* Radio Free Asia 11/18/20123: Jailed Chinese Nobel winner Liu Xiaobo to appeal sentence
* Guardian 12/2/2013: Liu Xiaobo’s wife possibly suffering from depression under house arrest 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Netizens wary of plans for new national security committee

The official Xinhua news agency announced on November 12 that the Chinese government would establish a “national security committee” (guo wei hui) to oversee both foreign and domestic security challenges, provoking fears among internet users that further efforts to stamp out dissent and free expression would ensue. The decision was announced on the last day of the third plenum held by the current Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee, a closed-door meeting attended by top party officials (see CMB No. 96). On November 15, CCP leader Xi Jinping unveiled a comprehensive reform blueprint from the conference. In addition to touting an array of economic and social reform plans, he specifically noted that the new committee would improve China’s security strategy amid “double pressure” from within and beyond its borders. While foreign press reports drew comparisons to the U.S. National Security Council, a relatively small body designed to coordinate diplomatic and security policy under the president, many Chinese commentators pointed instead to the Soviet Union’s Committee for State Security (KGB), a sprawling and powerful agency with a variety of police, paramilitary, and intelligence duties. It remained unclear when the new committee would be established. Adding to users’ concerns, the reform blueprint noted that the internet posed a complex challenge, specifically naming popular mobile-phone messaging applications—Tencent’s WeChat and Sina’s Weike—as “problematic” examples of platforms that can influence public opinion. The document’s omission of the popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo, which has stepped up censorship enforcement (see below), suggested that the government has shifted its focus to newer mobile messaging apps.

* Wall Street Journal 11/15/2013: China wants to control internet even more
* South China Morning Post 11/16/2013: Chinese fear a new KGB as Beijing sets up powerful national security body
* Radio Free Asia 11/12/2013: New Chinese agency to ‘manage’ social unrest
* Reuters 11/12/2013: China to revamp security in face of threats at home, abroad
* Xinhua 11/12/2013: 快讯：中国将建立国家安全委员会 [Breaking News: China to establish state security committee]
* Xinhua 11/15/2013: 习近平关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定的说明 [Xi Jinping explains important decisions on comprehensive reforms]
* Xinhua 11/15/2013: 中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定 [CCP Central Committee on comprehensive reforms]
* China Media Project 11/18/2013: What are Xi's plans for China's media?

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Microbloggers face widespread suspensions for content violations

The Communist Party’s Beijing Youth Daily reported on November 13 that popular Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo had suspended or permanently shut down more than 100,000 accounts for violations of the “seven base lines” established at a government-sponsored internet conference in August (see CMB No. 92). According to the article, more than 70 percent of the affected users were punished for making personal attacks. Other alleged offenses included dissemination of false information, distribution of obscene materials, and plagiarism. No mention was made of political violations, which feature prominently in the August “base lines.” Even before those rules were issued, Sina had been implementing a points-based disciplinary system for users since May 2012, sharply reducing the daily number of alleged offenses (see CMB No. 90). On November 28, State Internet Information Office deputy director Ren Xianliang said at a meeting held in Beijing that the government’s broader “antirumor” campaign, which has included arrests and intimidation of high-profile bloggers, had been effective. He noted that China’s internet space had been “brightened up” after many microblogging accounts were shut down and their owners punished.

* Global Voices 11/13/2013: China: Over 100,000 Weibo users punished for violating ‘censorship guidelines’
* Global Times 11/14/2013: Weibo users breach online ethics
* Wall Street Journal 11/13/2-13: Crossing lines: Sina punishes more than 100,000 Weibo accounts
* Beijing Youth Daily 11/13/2013: 新浪处理10万微博账户 [Sina handles 100,000 Weibo accounts]
* Radio Free Asia 11/28/2013: 中国互联网信息办公室：打击网络谣言有成效 [State Internet Information Office: Effort to combat internet rumors has been successful]

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Japan phone app censors users in China, Skype said to reduce censorship

The Citizen Lab, an internet security research group in Toronto, reported on November 14 that Line, a Japan-based mobile messaging application that boasts over 300 million users worldwide, has been censoring chats among users in China, blocking transmission of words deemed sensitive by the Chinese government. Seth Hardy, a senior researcher at the lab, explained that the censorship functions are activated regardless of physical location when a user enters a Chinese telephone number to complete Line’s verification process. According to the report, the messaging app checks messages against a list that currently includes 370 keywords that are banned in China, ranging from references to former premier Wen Jiabao and political dissidents to phrases related to the persecuted Falun Gong spiritual movement. The banned words are blocked or replaced with asterisks. Line admitted the censorship effort, citing its obligation to comply with Chinese law when operating in China, but it refused to comment on how the blacklisted words are selected. Researchers from the Citizen Lab said the censorship is especially concerning because it shows that the company has the ability to apply the technology to users everywhere, although it appears to be limited to Chinese users for now. In a contrasting case, the freedom of expression advocacy group GreatFire.org reported on November 27 that Microsoft had seemingly lifted censorship on Skype in China. The news came after the U.S.-based software giant ended a joint venture with China’s Tom Group, whose locally based Tom Skype service was notorious for monitoring conversations and uploading user information. GreatFire.org’s data analysis revealed that user conversations and login information are now encrypted and communicated directly to Microsoft. However, it is unclear whether Microsoft can continue to avoid monitoring and censorship in China, as its new local partner, Guangming Founder, is itself a joint venture between a state-run newspaper and a Beijing technology conglomerate.

* Japan Times 11/28/2013: Line censoring messages in China
* South China Morning Post 12/2/013: Chat app accused of censoring Chinese users
* Citizen Lab 11/19/2013: Asia Chats: Investigating regionally-based keyword censorship in LINE
* Reuters 11/27/2013: Microsoft blocks censorship of Skype in China: advocacy group
* Sydney Morning Herald 11/28/2013: Skype censorship blocked in China
* ZDNet 11/28/2013: Skype in China reportedly tweaked to remove censorship

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XINJIANG

Graduation blocked for students with ‘incorrect’ political views

In the latest move to clamp down on Xinjiang’s tightly restricted Uighur population, several of the region’s university administrators said at a recent Communist Party event that students with “incorrect” political views must not be allowed to graduate. The meeting was first reported by the state-run Xinjiang Daily on November 26. According to the article, university party secretaries and presidents agreed that their institutions were an important front in the battle against separatism, though it remained unclear whether the authorities had implemented any specific new policy on graduation requirements. Kashgar Teachers College party secretary Xu Yuanzhi said that even students whose academic performance was excellent would not be able to graduate as long as their “political qualifications” were not up to standard. Xinjiang Normal University president Weili Balati, who described the ideological struggle as a “battlefield without gun smoke,” urged participants to pay particular attention to students wearing religious clothing and monitor their online activities. Uighurs, who are mostly Muslim, have long faced heavy discrimination, political repression, and onerous constraints on their religious and cultural practices, leading to periodic protests and crackdowns as well as unverified accusations of terrorism (see CMB No. 96). On November 21, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that the Chinese government had created a system to track and translate telephone and online communications in minority languages, including Tibetan and the Turkic language widely spoken by Uighurs. Most security officials in Tibet and Xinjiang belong to China’s ethnic Han majority and do not speak local languages. Ding Xiaoqing, a Tsinghua University professor who led the development team, said the surveillance tool would enable officials to pick up warning signs of unrest, including messages embedded in images that are circulated online and via mobile phones.

* Reuters 11/26/2013: Xinjiang college says approved political views needed to graduate
* Xinjiang Daily 11/26/2013: 新疆高校领导：政治不合格的学生绝不能毕业 [Xinjiang higher education leaders: Politically incorrect students cannot graduate]
* South China Morning Post 11/21/2013: Beijing’s cyberspies step up surveillance of ethnic groups with new language-tracking technology

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BEYOND CHINA

Zimbabwe’s ruling party sends team to China for media cooperation

The state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) announced on November 26 that the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the country’s ruling party, had sent a team to China for a media exchange program aimed partly at “countering Western propaganda.” The delegation was led by ZANU-PF information and publicity secretary Rugare Gumbo, who was scheduled to meet with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda officials in Beijing and discuss ways to modernize Zimbabwe’s print and electronic media. According to London-based SW Radio Africa, the ZBC had received a $1 million broadcast van from China in August, continuing years of media cooperation between ZANU-PF and the CCP (see CMB No. 64). During a meeting in October, the Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lin Lin, told Information Minister Jonathan Moyo that Beijing was ready to help Zimbabwe develop its media industry and supply new equipment. In recent years, China has sought to expand its media presence in Africa through collaboration with local governments and establishment of regional bureaus for its own official outlets (see CMB No. 93). Both China and Zimbabwe were rated Not Free in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press 2013 report.

* SW Radio Africa 11/28/2013: ZANU PF seeks Chinese help in media control
* Africa Daily 11/27/2013 ZANU PF dispatches team to China to counter Western propaganda
* Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation 11/26/2013: Zanu PF team off to China

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 98: December 17, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS
* Many U.S. reporters face expulsion at year’s end
* State media tout ‘benefits’ of smog
* Activist Xu Zhiyong indicted for ‘disturbing order’ online
* Anticensorship tools removed by Apple, infiltrated by censors
* Singers, poet jailed for works addressing repression, Tibetan identity

Photo of the Week: Equal Smog for All!

Credit: China News

OTHER HEADLINES
* Another professor dismissed for criticizing one-party rule
* Journalists detained on bribery charges
* Netizen sues police for detention over criticism of Mao-era soldiers
* Foreign scholars, analysts attend Shanghai gathering to discuss China Dream
* ‘Foreign Policy’ reports on cybersecurity threats among Tibetan exiles

Printable Version

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

Announcement: After a winter hiatus, the China Media Bulletin will return with Issue No. 99 in January 2014. The editors wish all our readers and donors happy holidays! 

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Many U.S. reporters face expulsion at year’s end

Some two dozen foreign journalists are facing the expiration of their visas and de facto expulsion from China on December 31 as part of an unprecedented campaign by the Chinese government to punish entire outlets for investigative reporting on senior Communist Party leaders and their families. The authorities’ refusal to grant or renew visas to the New York Times and Bloomberg News in particular would gut their mainland Chinese bureaus (see CMB No. 97). Both outlets’ websites have been blocked in China since they reported on Chinese leaders’ family wealth in 2012. Time magazine’s Beijing bureau chief, Hannah Beech, noted in a December 11 article that in previous cases, only individual reporters have been punished with visa delays or denials for covering topics deemed sensitive to the authorities, whereas this year Beijing has targeted whole publications. In an e-mail exchange with the China File blog published on December 7, a New York Times reporter said the annual renewal of that paper’s press cards, documents that serve as a prerequisite for renewing journalist visas, had stopped around November 13—the day that the Times exposed business links between U.S. financial firm JP Morgan Chase and Wen Ruchun, daughter of former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. Those who obtained press cards prior to that date and submitted the required documents for a visa renewal were reportedly told by officials at the Public Security Bureau that it was impossible to proceed with their applications. According to theWashington Post, visa renewals have so far been withheld from its two China-based reporters, nine with the New York Times, and 14 at Bloomberg. With the December 31 deadline approaching, U.S. vice president Joe Biden publicly denounced the pressure on foreign media during a recent visit to Beijing. He reportedly raised the issue multiple times in private meetings with China’s top leaders, including President Xi Jinping. On December 8, a Washington Post editorial suggested introducing more “symmetry” into U.S. visa policy toward Chinese applicants if the exclusion of U.S. journalists continued. In a move to silence discussion among Chinese netizens, a Chinese reporter’s post about Biden’s comments on visa denials was deleted by the microblogging platform Sina Weibo.

* Time 12/11/2013: Foreign correspondents in China do not censor themselves to get visas 
* CPJ 12/12/2013: Covering China goes far beyond the current visa woes 
* China File 12/7/2013: Will China shut out the foreign press? 
* Washington Post 12/5/2013: Biden forcefully complains to Chinese leaders about crackdown on foreign news media 
* Washington Post 12/8/2013: China’s strong-arm tactics toward U.S. media merit a response 
* China Media Project 12/10/2013: Posts on Biden China visit deleted 

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Another professor dismissed for criticizing one-party rule

Zhang Xuezhong, an outspoken legal scholar at Shanghai’s East China University of Political Science and Law, confirmed on December 11 that the school had fired him for his online writing about China’s political system. Zhang had published articles on the internet calling for more civil rights and political reform, and an online book entitled New Common Sense, in which he challenged the legitimacy of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He was told by the law school’s dean on December 9 that his contract would be terminated at the end of the month. Zhang had been barred from teaching since mid-August, and the law school’s human resources officials asked him in November whether he would acknowledge his supposed mistakes. “I said I did nothing wrong, so there’s nothing to admit to,” the professor told Reuters. Zhang’s dismissal was seen as the latest example of Beijing’s widening crackdown on dissent, and followed the sacking of liberal Peking University economist Xia Yeliang in October (see CMB No. 95). East China University reportedly has cooperative relationships with many foreign schools, including the University of Maryland. There was no immediate response from these institutions to Zhang’s dismissal.

* Telegraph 12/10/2013: Fresh fears of crackdown as Chinese professor is fired for 'criticising Xi Jinping' 
* Reuters 12/11/2013: China professor says sacked for criticizing president and not recanting 
* South China Morning Post 12/10/20213: Zhang Xuezhong, pro-democracy activist, sacked by university 

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Journalists detained on bribery charges

The Beijing-based financial news outlet Caixin reported on December 12 that the authorities had detained two journalists in the capital for allegedly taking bribes to run stories. One of the two, technology editor Xiong Xiong of the Communist Party–owned Beijing Youth Daily, was accused of collecting more than one million yuan ($165,000) in exchange for articles designed to help or hurt various companies or individuals. In a separate case, Yang Kairan, an editor of Jinghua Times’ automobile news section, was reportedly taken into custody on similar charges in August. That investigation has since expanded to include multiple reporters and public-relations companies. Radio Free Asia cited industry sources as saying that bribery of the type alleged in the two cases is extremely common, suggesting that some additional factor lay behind the arrests. Many private businesses, state-owned enterprises, and local governments employ public-relations firms to broker the placement or deletion of news and commentary, with rival groups looking to damage one another. The arrest of a journalist could represent an escalation of such conflicts, or simply a means of silencing honest but critical business reporting (see CMB No. 95).  

* Radio Free Asia 12/13/2013: China holds editors over bribery claims
* Caixin 12/12/2013: Two more journalists held over bribe-taking
* South China Morning Post 12/12/2013: ‘Beijing Youth Daily’ editor arrested for taking bribes: report 

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State media tout ‘benefits’ of smog

In an attempt to put a positive spin on China’s notorious air pollution, editor Wang Lei published a December 9 article on the website of state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) that identified “surprising benefits” from the haze. According to the article, the pollution created solidarity among Chinese people and increased equality, as both rich and poor faced the same problem. It also heightened awareness of the cost of economic development, Wang argued, and made Chinese people both more humorous—exchanging smog-related jokes—and more knowledgeable about the science of weather and chemistry. Netizen reactions to the article ranged from mockery to dismay. “Smog brought us equality. Thank you for bringing justice to China,” one user wrote. “What’s wrong with the author?” asked another. The Communist Party’sGlobal Times similarly published an editorial on December 10 that described how air pollution could be a defensive advantage for the Chinese military. Meanwhile, on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo and the popular mobile messaging application WeChat, netizens circulated photos of their cities draped in smog during a particularly intense week of pollution that led to flight delays and school closings in cities like Shanghai. Meng Fei, an outspoken television host, argued in a Weibo post that the government bears the most responsibility for the problem. According to Global Voices, the post was shared over 130,000 times and received 40,000 comments. Searches by China Media Bulletin editors on December 17 found that both the Global Times article and Meng Fei’s post had been removed.

* Time 12/9/2013: China: Here are some great things about toxic air 
* CCTV 12/9/2013: 王磊：雾霾让中国人更平等团结幽默 [Wang Lei: Smog makes Chinese people more equal, more unified, and more humorous]
* Guardian 12/10/2013: Chinese media find silver linings in smog clouds 
* Global Voices 12/9/2013: Photos: Heavy smog chokes China 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Activist Xu Zhiyong indicted for ‘disturbing order’ online

An attorney for prominent civic activist and lawyer Xu Zhiyong said on December 9 that Xu had been formally indicted on charges of “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” both offline and in the “public spaces” of the internet. Xu, detained since July, is a founder of the New Citizens Movement, which calls for reforms related to government transparency and the rule of law (see CMB No. 91). The movement had gained traction in early 2013 by organizing a series of small street demonstrations calling on government officials to disclose their wealth. The charges against Xu are based on his involvement in organizing the protests themselves, but also on his online dissemination of photographs from the events. The latter allegation stems from judicial guidelines issued in September that define the online world as a public space for the purpose of criminal prosecution (see CMB No. 93), among other innovations. The guidelines have been criticized by rights groups for providing a legal foundation for the authorities’ ongoing crackdown on dissent in social media. Although President Xi Jinping has pledged to fight official graft, the leadership has repressed grassroots anticorruption activity as a threat to its authority. Dozens of members of the New Citizens Movement are believed to have been detained since March. On December 5, it was reported that Xu’s ally Wang Gongquan, in detention since September, had recorded video statements to the police, confessing to disturbing public order and pledging to “sever the relationship” with Xu if “that is what the authorities want.” The increased use of video confessions by outspoken government critics, some of which have been shown on state television, has renewed concerns about coercion and the mistreatment of suspects in custody.

* Wall Street Journal 12/20/2013: A new tack in criminal prosecution of Chinese activists 
* Radio Free Asia 12/9/2013: Chinese anti-graft activist to stand trial for ‘disturbing public order’ 
* South China Morning Post 12/5/2013: Rights advocate Wang Gongquan latest to give video confession 
* Washington Post 12/13/2013: Chinese prosecutors file charges against leading activist Xu Zhiyong 

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Netizen sues police for detention over criticism of Mao-era soldiers

A Guangdong-based blogger named Zhang Guanghong has sued the authorities in the province’s capital, Guangzhou, after they detained him on the accusation of spreading harmful “rumors” on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo. According to Radio Free Asia, Zhang on August 27 reposted his friend’s criticism of a group of Communist soldiers known as the “Five Heroes of Langya Mountain,” who are praised in Chinese textbooks for their exemplary resistance against invading Japanese troops. The post, which challenged the official account and asserted that the soldiers had “bullied and oppressed” local civilians at Langya Mountain, was shared 2,500 times and drew 300 comments before it was removed by censors. Zhang said he was soon visited by three police officers, who confiscated his computer and held him in custody for seven days. He told Radio Free Asia on December 3 that he believed he had been punished in retaliation for his previous online comments about deaths in police custody, with the Langya issue serving as a pretext. During the trial of his lawsuit on December 11, Zhang challenged the authorities to demonstrate that his repost was factually inaccurate or had disturbed social order. He reportedly asked, “Are the police making decisions based on primary school textbooks?” A verdict in the case has yet to be issued. The Communist Party has continued to promote the improbable feats of Mao-era model soldiers and revolutionary heroes despite growing skepticism and mockery from netizens (see CMB No. 50).

* Radio Free Asia 12/3/2013: Chinese tweeter held for ‘defaming’ Communist heroes sues police 
* South China Morning Post 12/12/2013: Guangdong blogger sues police over punishment for spreading rumours about war heroes

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Anticensorship tools removed by Apple, infiltrated by censors

U.S. technology giant Apple reportedly removed FreeWeibo, an application allowing users to access censored postings on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo, from its Chinese online app store on December 13. The company’s App Review Board said FreeWeibo was pulled because it violated local laws, but the software’s developers told reporters that they believed Apple was acting on orders from Beijing. FreeWeibo was a joint project of Radio Netherlands Worldwide and Chinese activists. Apple has a record of similar removals, having pulled two other apps from its Chinese app store in April and October that allowed access to otherwise blocked Chinese-language content (see CMB No.86). The Chinese market has become increasingly important for the company, which collects nearly $5 billion in revenue there each quarter. It is currently finalizing an agreement to sell its iPhone device through China Mobile, the country’s largest wireless carrier. The Chinese authorities have used a variety of means to thwart anticensorship efforts. Operators of Lantern, a free peer-to-peer circumvention tool funded by the U.S. State Department, confirmed on December 11 that Chinese censors had infiltrated and partly blocked its servers. This occurred within days of international media reporting a surge in Chinese netizens using Lantern. Operating on a trust network, Lantern allows users in countries with free internet access to share their bandwidth with users in censored countries so they can access blocked web content. The service’s developers said they would tighten the invitation process to screen out censors and make it more resistant to blocking. 

* Agence France-Presse 12/13/2013: Apple blocks anti-censorship ‘FreeWeibo’ app in China
* Apple Insider 12/13/2013: Apple pulls another anti-censorship app from China’s iOS app store
* South China Morning Post 12/12/2013: Anti-firewall tool Lantern infiltrated by Chinese censors
* Tech in Asia 12/11/2013: China blocks censorship circumvention software Lantern after a surge of Chinese users
* South China Morning Post 12/4/2013: US-funded Lantern program allows Chinese to dodge Great Firewall and view banned websites 

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TIBET

Singers, poet jailed for works addressing repression, Tibetan identity

According to the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), the Chinese authorities recently sentenced nine Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) for “engaging in activities to split the nation” and maintaining contact with the “Dalai clique”—a derogatory term used by the Chinese Communist Party for the Tibetan government in exile and more generally for followers of Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The nine cases occurred in Driru (Biru) County, Nagchu (Naqu) Prefecture. Among those sentenced was a writer named Topden, known by the pseudonym Dro Ghang Gah, who was detained in October and sentenced to five years in prison on November 30. TCHRD reported that Topden may have been punished for writing a poem that described Beijing’s recent brutal crackdown in Driru County (see CMB No. 95), as well as government repression in the area in 1969, during which thousands of Tibetans were mistreated, jailed, or killed. Separately, on December 6, the Tibet Post reported that two popular Tibetan singers from Driru County had been arrested in November for performing politically sensitive songs. The authorities detained Trinley Tsekar in Driru County on November 20 after he released a number of albums that praised Tibetan identity. Another singer, Gonpo Tenzin, who had put out an album entitled No Losar for Tibet, was detained on November 30 in Lhasa on unknown charges. Many Tibetans have boycotted annual celebrations of Losar, the Tibetan New Year, as a form of passive protest against Chinese Communist rule. The authorities regularly arrest and imprison Tibetan singers, writers, and other cultural figures who promote Tibetan identity or address official repression in the region.

* Tibet Post International 12/4/2013: Writer among nine Tibetans sentenced to prison in Tibet 
* Tibet Post International 12/6/2013: Two popular singers arrested over alleged political songs for Tibet

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BEYOND CHINA

Foreign scholars, analysts attend Shanghai gathering to discuss China Dream

In an apparent effort to add international legitimacy to President Xi Jinping’s “China Dream” political slogan for domestic audiences, the Chinese State Council Information Office hosted a December 7–8 international symposium on the concept, which generally refers to Chinese national rejuvenation under Communist Party rule (see CMB No. 90). The Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily claimed that some 100 scholars and experts from more than 20 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, and Japan, attended the event (see CMB No.95). Kenneth Lieberthal, an expert on U.S.-China relations from the Brookings Institution, was among the participants. Others included Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an American corporate strategist and investment banker who has also served as an adviser to Chinese leaders and a columnist for the state-run media outlet China Daily; Maria Cristina Rosas, a Mexican professor of international relations; and Gustaaf Geeraerts, the director of the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies. Attendees gave speeches offering their interpretation of the China Dream, mostly matching the authorities’ emphasis on economic development rather than political liberalization. Some praised it as a reform model for their own countries, or as a vision for a new international order in which emerging powers would have more influence. The texts of the speeches were subsequently published in the People’s Daily.

* ChinaScope 12/12/2013: China held an international symposium on the China Dream in Shanghai
* People’s Daily 12/12/2013: 中国梦正在发挥巨大感召力 [China Dream is making big appeal]
* China.org.cn 12/8/2013: “World Dialogue on Chinese Dream” international symposium  

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

‘Foreign Policy’ reports on cybersecurity threats among Tibetan exiles

Foreign Policy magazine on December 4 published an article on cybersecurity threats in Dharamsala, India—home to Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and the Tibetan government in exile, also known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). Authored by Beijing-based journalist Jonathan Kaiman, the article maps out various methods that the Chinese government has used to penetrate the city’s internet infrastructure and how the Tibetan government in exile is responding. Besides phishing attempts and other types of cyberattacks that target computers of CTA employees and pro-Tibet activists, the increasingly popular Chinese messaging app WeChat is widely viewed as a new channel that allows the Chinese government to trace communications among Tibetans and prosecute China-based users who send sensitive information abroad, such as photos of Tibetans’ self-immolation protests. According to the report, Dharamsala has become a popular destination for cybersecurity professionals, who come for short stints to assist Tibetan groups and analyze attacks. “What we’re trying to do now is provide more opportunities for Tibetans themselves to become experts in cybersecurity,” one researcher said.

* Foreign Policy 12/4/2013: Hack Tibet

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Lunar New Year Special Feature

In celebration of the Lunar New Year, the editors of the China Media Bulletin have compiled a few of our favorite CMB “Photos of the Week” from the Year of the Snake. It’s worth noting that most of these images are censored on China’s internet, as they touch on subjects that are considered sensitive by the Chinese government.



1.  Year of Snake, Month of Pig

State media, censors, netizens respond to flotilla of pig carcasses (March 2013)


Credit: China Media Project

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2. Defaced by Censorship
Activist jailed for desecrating Chinese, Hong Kong flags (February 2013)


Credit: Global Voices

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3. Thrill of Power
Photos of napping National People’s Congress reps go viral (March 2013)


Credit: Reuters

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4. The Emperor Is Far Away
Chinese netizens flood White House petition site (May 2013)


Credit: China Media Project

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5. Forbidden Fruit
Photo of Chinese first lady using Apple iPhone censored (June 2013)


Credit: Offbeat China

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6. Nothing to See Here
Censorship directives restrict reporting on deadly ammonia leak in Shanghai (September 2013)

Credit: Liaocheng News Net

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7. Suspended Sentence
State media air contrite statements by leading bloggers (September 2013)


Credit: China Digital Times

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8. Bloomberg News on Its Knees
Bloomberg halts articles on Chinese leadership, self-censorship alleged (November 2013)

Credit: NMA World Edition

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9. Equal Smog for All
State media tout ‘benefits’ of smog (December 2013)


Credit: China News

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10. While Xi will be toasting a “dreamy” Year of the Horse…


Credit: China Media Project

...our thoughts go out to Xu and others who cannot spend the holiday with their families.


Credit: China Digital Times

With gratitude, we wish our readers and donors a Happy New Year!

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China
Issue No. 99: February 11, 2014

HIGHLIGHTS
* Liberal media group sells Beijing paper, turns on anticensorship supporters 
* Censors suppress information on Xu Zhiyong trial
* Massive internet outage attributed to censorship error
* Uighur academic Ilham Tohti held incommunicado, name censored online
* Beijing blocks visas for U.S., Taiwanese reporters

OTHER HEADLINES
* Journalists prepare for ideological exam, party cadres receive PR training
* Guarding Xi’s image, officials block online ‘bun’ criticism and arrest publisher 
* Regulator requires real-name registration for video uploads
* Weibo usage battered by crackdown and rise of WeChat
* ‘Ming Pao’ chief editor replaced amid Hong Kong censorship concerns
* China Media Project content analysis finds shift in 2013 political discourse
* IFJ annual report notes press freedom decline in 2013

Printable Version

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Journalists prepare for ideological exam, party cadres receive PR training

The State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SGAPPRFT) in September 2013 announced a plan requiring Chinese journalists to pass a new ideological exam to be held between January and February of this year. The Communist Party–owned Global Times reported on December 17 that all Chinese journalists, including those who already held professional certification, would be obliged to participate. News outlets were asked to organize weekly trainings for their employees to prepare for the exam. These sessions would be based on a textbook compiled by the government on six topics: “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” the Marxist view of journalism, journalistic ethics, regulations on journalism, news reporting norms, and “preventing rumors.” The book reportedly includes unambiguous maxims such as “it is absolutely not permitted for published reports to feature any comments that go against the party line.” At least six reporters at state media outlets told Reuters that the increase in official control over the press in the past year has had a chilling effect on journalism. In addition to directly influencing news reporting, the Communist Party has increased training of its members on media relations. The Economist reported on February 8 that the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP), a party training center in Shanghai, was offering classes to improve party officials’ handling of press inquiries and scandals. Students are instructed to ensure that their personal behavior does not embarrass the party and government, and to refrain from using charged ideological phrases and bureaucratic jargon. Instead, they are told to use humor and colloquial language when dodging tough questions. One lecturer warned, “In the past we could avoid the press…we could remain silent, but now we can no longer avoid it.”

* Global Times 12/17/2013: Learning the news 
* Reuters 12/18/2013: Testing time for Chinese media as party tightens control 
* Economist 2/8/2014: Learning to spin 

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Liberal media group sells Beijing paper, turns on anticensorship supporters 

The Guangzhou-based Southern Media Group announced on January 26 that it had sold its 49 percent stake in the Beijing News to Beijing’s municipal propaganda bureau. The newspaper had been known for liberal reporting, despite years of pressure from authorities and the fact that the remaining stake was owned by the Communist Party mouthpiece Guangming Daily. Analysts said the 294 million yuan ($49 million) deal would complete the city authorities’ efforts to bring the Beijing News under control (see CMB No. 33). In January 2013, the paper was one of the few media outlets in China to express support for journalists at its sister publication Southern Weekly, who staged a three-day strike to protest government censorship of its New Year editorial (see Special Feature). Beijing News was then forced to publish an editorial condemning the strikers, and its president at the time, Dai Zigeng, resigned after attempting to block the move. Many netizens expressed disappointment at the announced buyout and shared a screenshot of the paper’s January 25 front page, in which a headline about President Xi Jinping heading the new National Security Committee was positioned near a photo of an actor wearing an emperor costume (see CMB No. 97). According to World Journal, the editors were called in for questioning by their executives over the layout. The Southern Media Group recently came under fire after news emerged that it had submitted written testimony on November 18 that is helping authorities prosecute activists who had supported the January Southern Weekly strike by joining peaceful protests outside the paper’s offices. The document, which was first made public by prominent blogger Wen Yunchao on December 27, outraged many activists who had previously been supportive of the company’s publications. Popular blogger and professor Yu Jianrong wrote on his microblog account, “Now I have to apologize to my readers and promise that if Southern Weekly fails to report and explain the situation objectively and fairly, I would never accept the paper’s interview again and would never write for this paper.” At least 20 former and current Southern Weekly employees also posted online comments rejecting the company’s testimony and challenging its assertions.

* South China Morning Post 1/27/2014: Sale of stake in outspoken Beijing News may turn it into ‘propaganda mouthpiece’ 
* World Journal 1/28/2014: 影射習當皇帝新京報編輯被查 [Beijing News editors questioned for implying Xi an emperor] 
* Global Voices 12/29/2013: China’s Southern Media Group turns back on anti-censorship supporters 
* Wen Yunchao 12/27/2013: 南方報業傳媒集團“关于2013年1月6日至9日南方報業傳媒集團大門口人群聚焦事件的情况說明”[Testimony on January 6–9 strike by Southern Media Group] 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Censors suppress information on Xu Zhiyong trial

China’s state media and online censors downplayed coverage of the recent conviction of prominent human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong, a cofounder of the New Citizens Movement (see CMB No. 98). His four-year prison sentence for “gathering a crowd to disturb public order”—including in “public spaces on the internet”—was handed down by Beijing’s First Intermediate People’s Court on January 26. The verdict followed a closed trial on January 22, during which foreign journalists from outlets such as the U.S.-based Cable News Network (CNN) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) were manhandled and forcibly removed by police and plainclothes thugs when they attempted to approach the courthouse. Most popular web portals carried only a brief announcement of the verdict produced by the official China News Network. The Communist Party–owned Global Times was the sole newspaper to publish commentary about the trial. Its English-language version condemned “Western media” for politicizing the verdict, while its Chinese version criticized “the West” for supporting Chinese dissidents as part of a plot to gain influence in China. The State Council Information Office reportedly ordered websites to remove an open letter written by Xu to Chinese president Xi Jinping, as well as his closing statement, “For Freedom, Justice, and Love,” which the trial judge did not allow to be fully read in court. According to the Fei Chang Dao blog, the Chinese search engine Baidu censored the closing statement. For example, the search term “Xu’s final statement,” which generated 116,000 results on January 25, yielded only 813 results on January 26, with a message that read, “Due to regulations, most results cannot be shown.” The government has continued to persecute other members of the New Citizens Movement, but on January 22 it unexpectedly released wealthy venture capitalist and Xu ally Wang Gongquan, claiming that he had confessed to joining Xu in “criminal behavior.” Wang, known as a popular and active microblogger, had been in detention since September 2013, and reportedly went through 92 interrogation sessions and 60 days in solitary confinement. Shortly after his release, Wang briefly reappeared on the Sina Weibo microblogging platform with a new account using a pseudonym; censors quickly shut it down after it garnered 10,000 followers in 24 hours.

* Time 1/22/2014: CNN, BBC reporters covering China activist trial manhandled on live TV
* Fei Chang Dao 1/27/2014: Baidu censors results for Xu Zhiyong’s closing statement to the court 
* Huanqiu 1/28/2014: 社評：支持中国異見人士，西方的“阳謀”[Supporting the dissidents in China; the open conspiracy of Western countries] 
* Global Times 1/27/2014: Xu Zhiyong sentenced to four years 
* China Digital Times 1/28/2014: Minitrue: Silencing Xu Zhiyong 
* China Digital Times 1/26/2014: Minitrue: The Xu Zhiyong case 
* Sydney Morning Herald 1/31/2014: Wang Gongquan: The mysterious return of the microblogger 
* Freedom House 1/27/2014: Court verdict against Xu Zhiyong is travesty of justice 

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Massive internet outage attributed to censorship error

On January 21, China’s internet suffered a major disruption, with service reportedly crippled for a large proportion of the country’s users and many websites rendered inaccessible. The event began at 3 p.m. Beijing time and lasted between two and eight hours, according to different sources. Chinese officials and state-owned media like the Global Times attributed it to a hacking attack, but investigations by outside experts found that it was more likely due to a glitch in the nationwide filtering system commonly known as the Great Firewall. According to Nicholas Weaver, a researcher at the International Computer Science Institute, what appeared to have happened was that a large proportion of China’s internet traffic was accidentally redirected to the internet protocol (IP) address registered to Dynamic Internet Technology, a company that produces tools used to circumvent censorship. “The rule was supposed to be, ‘Block everything going to this IP address,’ ” Weaver told the Washington Post. “Instead, they screwed up and probably wrote the rule as ‘Block everything by referring to this IP address.’” This is not the first time that the Great Firewall’s filtering accidentally caused a large disruption to internet traffic. Though it is not possible to prove conclusively, the timing of the latest glitch might reflect a sudden, intensified effort by censors to block access to popular circumvention tools on the day that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) unveiled a report documenting the offshore financial accounts of over 20,000 Chinese officials and their relatives. The release of the study, in English and Chinese, was immediately followed by reports of wholesale blocks on the ICIJ’s website and those of partner news outlets like Spain’s El País, while Britain’s Guardian and others suffered partial blocking. Past releases of scandalous information by overseas sources have prompted spikes in the use of circumvention tools as Chinese residents attempt to access the blocked material. A leaked censorship directive by the State Council Information Office, dated January 21, notably mentioned the two events together, urging websites to “1. Immediately find and remove the foreign media report ‘China’s Secret Offshore Tax Havens’ and related content,” and “2.… [S]top stirring up the article ‘Chinese Internet “Paralysis”; Affected IPs Redirect to American Company.’”

* Bloomberg 1/23/2014: Chinese internet outage may be result of censorship changes
* Washington Post 1/22/2014: China accuses hackers for Internet disruption; experts suspect censors 
* Global Times 1/22/2014: Hacker attack may have shut down internet: expert 
* ICIJ 1/21/2014: Leaked records reveal offshore holdings of China’s elite 
* Reporters Without Borders 1/24/2014: China censors reports about elite’s hidden funds 
* Guardian 1/22/2014: Guardian blocked in China after story about leadership’s offshore wealth
* China Digital Times 1/22/2014: Minitrue: Offshore taxes, onshore cyberattack

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Guarding Xi’s image, officials block online ‘bun’ criticism and arrest publisher 

After President Xi Jinping appeared for lunch at a Qingfeng Steamed Bun Shop in Beijng on December 28, photos of him paying for the food and sitting at a table among ordinary diners were widely disseminated online. The official Xinhua news agency reported the incident on its Sina Weibo microblogging account, and several popular Chinese web portals reposted the item, which seemed to dovetail with Xi’s calls for greater humility among Communist Party officials (see CMB Nos. 79, 86). The visit also echoed the down-to-earth behavior of former U.S. ambassador Gary Locke, which had won the admiration of many in China (see CMB No. 97). However, netizens reacted to the Xi coverage with considerable skepticism. One netizen wrote, “It seems that anti-corruption, constitutionalism, freedom, democracy, human rights, and the people’s livelihood are all less important than eating steamed dumplings!” Another noted that when U.S. president Barack Obama dined in public, Chinese media usually called it a publicity stunt. Online censors soon responded to the criticism. Satirical cartoons and phrases such as “put on a show” and “new administration” combined with Xi’s name were blocked on Sina Weibo. According to China Digital Times, the State Council Information Office issued a directive on January 17 that ordered all web portals to remove a Beijing Youth Daily interview published on the same day in which Zhu Yuling, president of the company that owns the Qingfeng chain, reported a boost in business since Xi’s visit. In another sign of the authorities’ determination to protect the president’s image, it emerged in January that a Hong Kong–based publisher who was preparing to release a dissident writer’s book on Xi had been detained since October 27. Yao Wentian, the editor in chief of Morning Bell Press, was taken into custody while delivering paint to a friend in Shenzhen, a mainland city just over the border from Hong Kong. He was accused of “smuggling prohibited items.” According to Yu Jie, the U.S.-based author whose book—Chinese Godfather Xi Jinping—Yao was set to release in Hong Kong in April, the two were routinely harassed during their previous collaborations on books about Chinese leaders (see CMB No. 66). The London-based literary rights group PEN International reported that Yao, who is 73 and suffers from asthma and a heart complaint, was denied medical parole in December.

* China Digital Times 1/31/2014: River crabbed: Spotlight on Xi’s lunch
* China Digital Times 1/17/2014: Minitrue: Cool down Xi Jinping’s lunch story
* China Digital Times 1/14/2014: Sensitive words: Steamed buns, rumor, dictatorship 
* South China Morning Post 1/21/2014: Hong Kong publisher Yao Wentian, working on Xi Jinping book, held on mainland China
* PEN International 1/28/2014: China: Mounting concerns for detained publisher Yao Wentian amidst renewed crackdown on dissent

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Regulator requires real-name registration for video uploads

On January 20, China’s State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SGAPPRFT) issued a new rule requiring internet users to register with their real names when uploading videos online. The rule instructs video site administrators to take down any content posted by users who did not register with their real identities. The regulator said the new restrictions were aimed at preventing the dissemination of vulgar, violent, and sexual content, but they were widely seen as part of a broader, ongoing effort to purge the Chinese internet of politically sensitive material. Online video sites have about 428 million users in the country, and they are often used to share information on official corruption and abuse. The authorities have steadily reduced the space for anonymous online activity, with earlier rules requiring real-name registration for microblogs and telecommunication services, among others (see CMB Nos. 78, 90). There have been some problems with implementation of these requirements, but the evidence suggests that they have been among several factors leading to reduced microblog usage and inhibited free discussion online (see below).

* CNET 1/21/2014: Amid censorship, China requires real-name use for video uploads
* Reuters 1/21/2014: China orders real name register for online video uploads
* The Next Web 1/21/2014: China now wants Internet users who upload videos to provide their real names
* Huffington Post 1/22/2014: The videos the Chinese government doesn’t want you to see
* SGAPPRFT 1/20/2014: 国家新闻出版广电总局印发关于进一步完善网络剧、微电影等网络视听节目管理的补充通知 [Additional information on management of online videos, micro-movies and other video programs] 

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Weibo usage battered by crackdown and rise of WeChat

Britain’s Telegraph newspaper reported on January 30 that according to a study it commissioned, activity on the popular microblogging service Sina Weibo had plummeted by as much as 70 percent after the government began clamping down on online “rumors” and arresting hundreds of users in the summer of 2013 (see graph in first link below; CMB No. 93). Other evidence of the drop in usage has been reported in recent months, and influential bloggers with large followings have been especially affected by government pressure. He Weifang, a liberal law professor at Peking University who had over 1.1 million followers, announced on December 31 that he was closing his Sina Weibo account. He told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post that he was disappointed to see opinion leaders leaving Weibo or going silent as well as a sharp decrease in meaningful discussion of public affairs on the service. The professor was also “uncomfortable” with insults and abusive comments that Communist Party supporters have posted in response to his writings. Other prominent Weibo bloggers echoed He’s remarks and reported the disappearance of friends from the platform. Media reports indicate that many Weibo users have migrated to the mobile-messaging application WeChat. The app, operated by the Chinese internet giant Tencent, had over 600 million users as of October 2013, whereas Sina Weibo users numbered 536 million as of February 2013, with fewer than 50 million active users. Many netizens prefer WeChat for its privacy options, such as peer-to-peer chatting and closed, invitation-only messaging groups. WeChat is subject to extensive surveillance, but deletions are less common than on Weibo. Experts have warned that WeChat, with its closed groups, does not offer the same public forum for political discussion as Weibo, and that restrictions on the newer service may increase as it becomes more popular and influential in shaping public opinion.

* Telegraph 1/30/2014: China kills off discussion on Weibo after internet crackdown
* South China Morning Post 1/1/2014: Prominent scholar He Weifang says ‘goodbye’ to online debate
* Global Voices 1/3/2014: Chinese netizens (and political discourse) migrate to WeChat 
* Global Voices 1/6/2014: Censorship, prosecution drive exodus of opinion leaders from China’s Sina Weibo

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XINJIANG

Uighur academic Ilham Tohti held incommunicado, name censored online

Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur activist and economics professor at Beijing’s Central Nationalities University, has been missing since January 15. He was taken from his home by more than 20 police officers, who also confiscated computers, mobile telephones, and documents. Despite frequent harassment and intimidation by the Chinese authorities, Tohti has been a vocal online critic of Beijing’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and regularly speaks with foreign media on Uighur issues (see CMB No. 96). A January 24 statement on the official microblogging account of the public security bureau in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, alleged that Tohti had incited separatism. It accused him of encouraging Uighur students and others to use violence against the Chinese authorities, and claimed that he had recruited followers through his website. Tohti’s wife, Guzaili Nu’er, and their two children have been under round-the-clock surveillance since his arrest. She told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post that the accusations against her husband were “groundless,” and that the authorities had not disclosed his whereabouts. Chinese and Uighur activists have reiterated that Tohti never advocated violence, but they saw the allegations as an ominous sign that the authorities intend to impose a harsh punishment on him. Searches for his name were reportedly censored on the Sina Weibo microblogging service. Separately, Radio Free Asia reported on February 5 that Niyaz Kahar, a journalist and blogger who ran the popular Uighur web portal Golden Tarim, had been sentenced to 13 years in prison on separatism charges in a closed hearing after being arrested in July 2009. He had disappeared during a crackdown in the wake of ethnic rioting that month, and his family only learned of his fate a year later; the Radio Free Asia report marked the first time they spoke publicly about the case. Thousands of Uighurs remain unaccounted for in Xinjiang, having been detained during the 2009 crackdown or subsequent security sweeps by Chinese authorities.

* Radio Free Asia 1/15/2014: Uyghur scholar, mother detained in Beijing
* Reporters Without Borders 1/29/2014: Where has Ilham Tohti been held since 15 January?
* South China Morning Post 1/25/2014: Uygur scholar Ilham Tohti accused of ‘separatist offences’ by prosecutors
* China Digital Times 1/17/2014: Sensitive words: Ilham (Tohti), Song Binbin & more 
* Radio Free Asia 2/5/2014: Missing Uyghur journalist found jailed on ‘separatism’ charges

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HONG KONG

‘Ming Pao’ chief editor replaced amid censorship concerns

On January 6, Hong Kong’s widely circulated Ming Pao newspaper announced the abrupt replacement of its chief editor, Kevin Lau Chun-to. The new editor was expected to be Chong Tien-siong, a Malaysian national who is perceived as progovernment; Lau was transferred to a post managing the paper’s internet business. Though Ming Pao has faced accusations of being more pro-establishment since the 1995 sale of a controlling stake to a Malaysian timber tycoon with business interests in China, it has also been known for its aggressive investigative reporting on Hong Kong and Chinese officials.Under Lau, who became chief editor in 2012, the paper pursued an investigation of illegal building by Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, and was a partner of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on its recent report regarding the secretive offshore holdings of Chinese elites. The sudden decision to replace Lau came amid growing concern about Beijing’s influence over Hong Kong’s media, raising speculation that the owners sacrificed him to appease the Chinese government. Employees at Ming Pao said they were shocked to hear the news, noting that Lau had led the staff in “resisting pressure from the invisible hands who try to meddle in the newsroom at critical moments.” Hundreds of employees and Hong Kong residents gathered outside the newspaper’s headquarters in black clothing or signed a petition to the management to protest the decision. Ming Pao published an official statement vowing to continue its unbiased reporting, but a joint letter by a group of Hong Kong academics warned of eroding press freedom at the paper and in Hong Kong as a whole. After a number of meetings between staff and management, the original decision to replace Lau with Chong appeared to remain unchanged.

* Committee to Protect Journalists 1/8/2014: Staff of Hong Kong’s Ming Pao fights leadership change
* RTHK 1/13/2014: Concern over replacement of chief editor
* South China Morning Post 1/24/2014: Ming Pao brouhaha underlines threat to Hong Kong’s media freedoms
* Standard 1/14/2014: Cheung respects Ming Pao boss over chief editor row
* New York Times 1/30/2014: Hong Kong paper ousts top editor, stirring concern
* Irrawaddy 2/7/2014: China leans on Hong Kong’s press

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BEYOND CHINA

Beijing blocks visas for U.S., Taiwanese reporters

The Chinese authorities in recent weeks have continued to fine-tune their use of visa denials and website blocks to punish or deter critical reporting by foreign media outlets. At the end of 2013, it appeared that some two dozen foreign correspondents, particularly from the New York Times and Bloomberg News, would be effectively expelled due to officials’ refusal to grant them press cards or visa renewals (see CMB No. 98). Following international pressure, including private and public appeals by U.S. vice president Joe Biden, the authorities in late December granted documents to most of the journalists in question. However, New York Times journalist Austin Ramzy, previously a China correspondent for Time magazine, was forced to leave the country at the end of January after officials failed to issue him a visa for his new position at the newspaper. Ramzy continues to report for the Times from Taiwan. Separately, on February 9, two Taiwanese journalists from Apple Daily and the U.S. government–funded Radio Free Asia, both known for their critical coverage of the Chinese government, were denied visas to join a media delegation accompanying Taiwanese officials to the mainland for an important bilateral meeting. One of the topics on the agenda is increasing the presence of each side’s media outlets across the Taiwan Strait. Freedom House and other press freedom watchdogs condemned the visa decisions, and Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council expressed its disappointment and urged Beijing to respect press freedom. Reporters from the outspoken Apple Daily, which has both Taiwan and Hong Kong editions, have periodically been barred from the mainland, and Radio Free Asia broadcasts are jammed, though listeners can reach them online using censorship circumvention software. In a more positive development, mainlanders’ access to the Chinese-language websites of Reuters and the Wall Street Journal was restored in early January. The sites had been blocked in November, apparently due to articles on business links between foreign financial firms and relatives of top Chinese officials (see CMB No. 97). The websites of the New York Times and Bloomberg News have been blocked since 2012, when they reported on the family wealth of Chinese leaders.

* Guardian 1/29/2014: New York Times journalist forced to leave China after visa row 
* IFJ 2/10/2014: IFJ condemns China’s refusal to issue visas to Taiwanese journalists
* Freedom House 2/10/2014: Freedom House condemns China visa refusal to Taiwanese journalists 
* Liberty Times 2/9/2014: 王張會將討論新聞資訊對等 [Wang-Zhang meeting to discuss equal access of news and information]
* Politico 1/6/2014: China unblocks Reuters, Wall Street Journal

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

China Media Project content analysis finds shift in 2013 political discourse 

On January 6, Qian Gang of the China Media Project at Hong Kong University published detailed and insightful findings about a palpable change in political discourse in Chinese media in 2013. His conclusions are based on content analysis of key political terms appearing in state-run and commercial media outlets and online news sources in China. Among his findings were an increased attack on democratic concepts and greater use of Communist Party propaganda with Maoist overtones. For example, the tone of coverage for terms such as “universal values” and “constitutionalism,” which was predominantly positive in 2012, swung to predominantly negative in 2013. Meanwhile, appearances of the phrase “Mao Zedong Thought” skyrocketed, and the term “intraparty democracy” was replaced by the less reformist “deliberative democracy” in the party’s proposals for limited political change.

* China Media Project 1/6/2014: China’s political discourse in 2013

*******************

IFJ annual report notes press freedom decline in 2013

On January 29, the International Federation of Journalists published its annual report on press freedom in China, Hong Kong, and Macau, drawing in part on information from journalists working in these localities. Ominously titled Back to a Maoist Future, the 59-page study notes that after several years of deterioration, “the situation became even worse in 2013” in China, while media in Hong Kong faced “unprecedented pressure.” 

* IFJ 1/29/2014: Back to a Maoist future: Press freedom in China 2013 
 

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House's biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People's Republic of China
Issue No. 100: February 25, 2014
HIGHLIGHTS
* Official outlets hail investigations as they zero in on former security chief
* Chinese bloggers ask Kerry for help amid growing internet controls
* Netizens punished for political views, flu rumor
* Microsoft’s Bing accused of internationalizing Chinese censorship
* China to help Iran build comprehensive internet controls

OTHER HEADLINES
* CCTV heralds sex trade crackdown, netizens side with workers
* State media campaign targets Aston Martin
* ‘House of Cards’ an online hit in China, despite political sensitivity
* Tibetan detained over Dalai Lama photos, torture reported
* HK protesters demand press freedom after radio host fired, publisher threatened
* CPJ explores Beijing’s media influence in Hong Kong and Taiwan
* Harvard journal assesses state of journalism in China 

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

CCTV heralds sex trade crackdown, netizens side with workers

In what was seen as the opening salvo in a broad antiprostitution campaign by central authorities, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) aired a February 9 exposé on the illegal sex trade in the city of Dongguan, Guangdong Province, triggering a crackdown on local sex workers. Several city officials apologized or were fired for neglecting the problem, and raids targeting the sex trade were soon carried out in other provinces. The CCTV program specifically noted that a Dongguan hotel accused of offering sex services was owned by a National People’s Congress member, indicating the degree of local official involvement in the illegal but profitable business, as well as the fact that the central leadership had most likely signed off on the report. By February 17, multiple state-run news outlets were carrying stories on the nationwide campaign. A China Daily article quoted a Public Security Ministry statement vowing to dismantle and punish prostitution rings and their “protective umbrellas” of complicit officials. However, many netizens expressed sympathy for the sex workers, criticized CCTV for unfairly denigrating them, and called for legalization to improve their working conditions. On February 10, “Dongguan hang in there” was reportedly the top trending topic on the microblog service Sina Weibo. Pointing to the city’s highly professional and well-organized sex trade, one netizen reportedly remarked, “These sex workers know much better how to serve the people, and with much higher work ethics than our officials.” Another noted that customers can choose from a selection of sex workers, but citizens cannot choose their leaders. A number of users rebuked journalists at the obedient state broadcaster for trying to take the moral high ground in the exposé, with one writing, “Selling your body is better than selling your soul.

* South China Morning Post 2/14/2014: Dongguan vice crackdown just the start
* Guardian 2/14/2014: Chinese government sacks Dongguan police chief over prostitution scandal
* BBC 2/17/2014: China media: Anti-vice crackdown
* Jinhua Daily 2/17/2014: 东莞四镇党委书记公开道歉各有侧重 [Dongguan four city officials make public apology]
* Offbeat China 2/11/2014: Why Chinese netizens are rooting for China’s sin city
* China Smack 2/12/2014: Dongguan anti-prostitution campaign, results and reactions

*******************

Official outlets hail investigations as they zero in on former security chief

Chinese authorities have been pressing ahead with multiple party and criminal investigations into individuals surrounding former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, and recent state media coverage of the probes suggests that they will eventually lead to some form of action against Zhou himself. Zhou, who retired from his post on the Communist Party’s top-tier Politburo Standing Committee in late 2012, had reportedly antagonized other party magnates by accumulating enormous personal power as head of China’s internal security agencies, and by attempting to protect former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai, who was disgraced and formally purged in early 2012 (see CMB No. 95). On February 21, the party mouthpiece People’s Daily ran a full page of articles on the indictment of Sichuan Province mining tycoon Liu Han, who had allegedly operated a sprawling crime syndicate. The article accused local officials of shielding Liu’s operation, and predicted that this “‘protective umbrella’ will be revealed as investigations into Liu’s case continue.” The People’s Daily did not mention Zhou by name, but he served as party secretary of Sichuan from 1999 to 2002, and other news outlets drew connections between him, Liu, and various Zhou associates under investigation. Also on February 21, Beijing municipal authorities removed the city’s State Security Bureau director, Liang Ke, who had reportedly been detained by party disciplinary agents in January. Liang was an ally of vice minister of public security Li Dongsheng, a close aide to Zhou who was formally dismissed on February 24 after being suspended for party disciplinary violations in December. Earlier in February, the authorities had announced a graft inquiry aimed at Hainan Province official Ji Wenlin, Zhou’s longtime secretary. Detailing Ji’s close connection with another Sichuan official under investigation, the China Business Journal said, “As the antigraft net continues to widen, members of the ‘secretary gang’ closely tied to each other have finally been caught one by one.” The article was later republished on the People’s Daily website. An official probe of Zhou has yet to be announced, but unconfirmed reports in recent months have indicated that he is under de facto house arrest. He was last seen in public at an event in October 2013.

* South China Morning Post 2/22/2014: Media’s heavy hints signal endgame in the pursuit of Zhou Yongkang 
* People's Daily 2/21/2014: 人民日报快评：反腐打黑除恶务尽 [People's Daily editorial: Anti-corruption campaign targets the dark and the evil]
* South China Morning Post 2/21/2014: Graft connections between Zhou Yongkang secretaries picked out by media sources
* New York Times 2/21/2014: Beijing official detained in investigation of former security chief
* South China Morning Post 2/24/2014: China sacks vice police chief with connections to Zhou Yongkang
* BBC 2/19/2014: Top China official linked to Zhou Yongkang facing probe
* Epoch Times 2/24/2014: Noose appears to tighten around former Chinese security commissar

*******************

State media campaign targets Aston Martin

Chinese state media have criticized the British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin after the company found that a Chinese parts supplier, Shenzhen Kexiang Mould Tool Company, was using counterfeit plastic material to produce an element of the accelerator pedals for its cars. No accidents related to the potentially flawed part had been reported, but Aston Martin initiated a sweeping recall of over 17,000 vehicles. A spokeswoman for the carmaker said on February 5 that it would switch to a British-based supplier as soon as possible. In a February 13 commentary, the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said the company was “unprofessional” for blaming its problems on Chinese manufacturing, and other state media followed suit, accusing Aston Martin of attempting to divert attention from its poor supply-chain management. Shenzhen Kexiang was reportedly separated from the British firm by at least two intermediary contractors, based in Hong Kong and Britain. A February 14 article by the official Xinhua news agency argued that “higher levels of technology and quality are the ultimate solution for the unjust stereotype of ‘Made in China’ as cheap and copycat.” Over the past year, state media have collectively pounced on a series of foreign companies whose brands are popular in China, including Apple, Starbucks, Samsung, and Volkswagen (see CMB No. 95).

* Reuters 2/5/2014: Aston Martin recalls 17,590 cars due to counterfeit material 
* People’s Daily 2/13/2014: 阿斯顿•马丁不能推卸责任 [Aston Martin cannot shirk responsibility]
* Reuters 2/14/2014: China state media slams Aston Martin over handling of sports car recall
* Wall Street Journal 2/14/2014: China’s state media dings Aston Martin
* Independent 2/14/2014: China state media slams Aston Martin over recall 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Chinese bloggers ask Kerry for help amid growing internet controls

On February 15, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry met with four prominent Chinese journalists and bloggers during a brief trip to China that was otherwise dominated by government discussions on topics like North Korea’s nuclear program and rising tensions with Japan. The participants—investigative journalist Wang Keqin (see CMB No. 82), Tencent finance reporter Zhang Jialong, blogging site founder Ma Xiaolin, and web portal director Wang Chong—reportedly urged the United States to do more to aid the cause of internet freedom in China, warning that the situation was growing worse. They asked Kerry to collaborate with freedom-seeking Chinese to “tear down this great firewall,” to look into reports that U.S. companies had helped Beijing build the censorship apparatus, and to show more support for China’s prisoners of conscience. However, according to news reports, Kerry often appeared to rebuff their concerns. He said the United States regularly raised the issue of internet freedom and other human rights problems with Chinese officials, but also asserted that democracy in China was already making “slow progress,” and cautioned that “no one country can come crashing in to say: ‘Do this our way. It is better.’” That remark, echoing Chinese government rhetoric, seemed to disregard the many Chinese citizens—represented by the bloggers—who share democratic values and do not view them as exclusively American. Zhang asked whether Kerry would visit Liu Xia, the ailing wife of jailed Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo who has been under extralegal house arrest for over three years (see CMB No. 97). The chief U.S. diplomat responded by saying his current trip was a short one. On February 17, the Communist Party–owned Global Times published a summary of the meeting that effectively praised Kerry’s performance as well as a commentary that said dissidents were naïve to rely on the U.S. government for support. On February 20, the U.S.-based online magazine Tea Leaf Nation published an additional commentary by Zhang in which he expressed satisfaction with the meeting and Kerry’s willingness to listen, but also relayed requests that he did not have time to communicate in person, including that U.S. authorities deny visas to Chinese individuals involved in building and maintaining the so-called Great Firewall.

* Washington Post 2/15/2014: Chinese bloggers ask Kerry to put pressure on Beijing over Internet, press freedoms
* New York Times 2/15/2014: Chinese ask Kerry to help tear down a firewall
* Global Times 2/17/2014: Kerry talks internet freedom with Chinese bloggers
* Global Times 2/17/2014: Counting on US for freedom is naïve
* South China Morning Post 2/17/2014: Chinese bloggers ‘naïve’ for meeting John Kerry over internet censorship, says Beijing paper
* Tea Leaf Nation 2/20/2014: Everything I wish I’d told John Kerry

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Netizens punished for political views, flu rumor

A number of internet users have been punished for their online activities in recent weeks. On January 23, democracy activist Liu Benqi was sentenced to three years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power,” having been arrested in Qinghai Province in July 2012 after advocating nonviolent civil disobedience and initiating an online petition to denounce authoritarianism and promote freedom of speech and assembly. Liu, a former soldier, had been held in detention since his arrest, and his trial was held six months before the sentence was announced. His wife, Liu Ying, served one year in a labor camp for seeking help on her husband’s case. Separately, on February 3, activist Wang Zhenhua was criminally detained in Liaoning Province on suspicion of “creating a disturbance,” mostly likely in connection with microblog posts in which he “declared war” against China’s criminal detention system, according to lawyer Wang Quanzhang. Xu Meiying and Xin Ying, fellow activists and reportedly supporters of Wang’s online efforts, were similarly detained. The three had been repeatedly harassed or temporarily detained by police over the past year. In another case, the official Xinhua news agency reported on February 12 that Hubei Province authorities had detained a man for spreading “panic” by claiming on the mobile messaging platform WeChat that the H7N9 strain of avian influenza had arrived in Hubei. According to Xinhua, the WeChat post stated that a pregnant doctor at a local hospital had died of the virus, and that multiple other cases had been detected. Provincial health officials dismissed the post as a false rumor, having not reported any human cases of H7N9 in Hubei. Nationwide, the virus has killed at least 31 people in 2014, according to official figures.

* Chinese Human Rights Defenders 2/13/2014: Activist given 3 years for inciting subversion, Tibetans tortured to death
* Chinese Human Rights Defenders 7/20/2012: China human rights briefing July 13–19, 2012
* Radio Free Asia 2/10/2014: 异议人士刘本琦被秘密判刑三年 放弃上诉但拒认罪 [Dissident Liu Benqi secretly sentenced to three years in prison; gives up his right to appeal but refuses to plead guilty]
* Radio Free Asia 7/19/2012: 青海异议人士刘本琦被刑事拘留 [Qinghai dissident Liu Benqi criminally detained]
* Reuters 2/12/2014: China detains man for spreading ‘panic’ with bird flu rumors

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‘House of Cards’ an online hit in China, despite political sensitivity

In the new season of House of Cards, a drama series available online through the U.S.-based Netflix video-streaming service, U.S.-China relations are central to the storyline, drawing attention and commentary from many Chinese viewers. The show’s main character, Vice President Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, makes backchannel deals with a Chinese billionaire who is trying to influence the White House, while topics ranging from cybertheft to currency manipulation are addressed. Alongside Netflix, the second season was released simultaneously via the Chinese web portal Sohu.com. According to theWall Street Journal, the first episode garnered over 3.5 million views in China within three days and was the fifth most popular drama overall, behind four Chinese shows. The program’s writers apparently consulted with China experts in the United States and drew on themes from recent headlines to add to the plot’s authenticity, possibly contributing to its popularity in China. Analysts offered a number of theories to explain how a show that touches on Chinese as well as American corruption has avoided the wrath of Chinese censors. First, top Communist Party leaders including Wang Qishan, head of the party’s anticorruption body and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, are rumored to enjoy watching the show. According to Sohu, many of last season’s avid viewers were government-sector employees and Beijing residents. Second, the unflattering and cynical depiction of America’s democratic political system may make China’s authoritarian regime seem less unattractive by comparison. As for Chinese viewers’ interest in the show, one Chinese fan featured on a Sohu panel explained that they are curious about American political machinations because any similar program about their own government could never get past the censors. Imagining a Chinese version, she said, “Oh my God, the political characters would be even more ruthless and masterful at manipulation.”

* Wall Street Journal 2/17/2014: ‘House of Cards’ does its homework on China
* Washington Post 2/18/2014: ‘House of Cards’ finds avid audience in China 
* South China Morning Post 2/20/2014: Why isn’t House of Cards censored in China? Top graft buster Wang Qishan may hold the answer

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TIBET

Tibetan detained over Dalai Lama photos, torture reported

U.S. government–funded Radio Free Asia reported on January 29 that a young Tibetan day laborer had been detained on January 14 for keeping images and audio recordings of the Dalai Lama on his mobile telephone. Such content is strictly banned, and police regularly check phones carried by Tibetans for illicit material (see CMB Nos. 76, 91). The man, identified as Norgyay, was detained in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and was allegedly tortured in custody.

* Radio Free Asia 1/29/2014: Tibetan laborer held, tortured over Dalai Lama photos, audio 

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HONG KONG

Protesters demand press freedom after radio host fired, publisher threatened

More than 6,000 people, including reporters, college students, and retirees, gathered in downtown Hong Kong on February 23 to protest against Beijing’s growing negative influence on the territory’s media freedom. The rally’s organizer, South China Morning Post reporter Shirley Yam, told the U.S.-based Cable News Network (CNN) that the current situation was the worst she had seen in her 30-year career. Citing various examples, other reporters said it was becoming more common to receive telephone calls from Beijing’s Liaison Office in which officials press them to remove or alter coverage of certain topics. In another sign of state pressure, local broadcaster Commercial Radio on February 12 abruptly dismissed host Li Wei-ling, a well-known critic of the Hong Kong and Chinese governments. In a press conference held on February 13, Li said she was fired because her work was causing friction between the authorities and the station’s leadership, including in their bid to renew a broadcasting license that was set to expire in 2016. Commercial Radio’s managers denied Li’s allegations but failed to explain the reasons for her firing. Book publishing has also been affected by Beijing’s political sensitivities. The New York Times reported on February 19 that Hong Kong publisher Wu Yisan had abandoned plans to release Chinese Godfather Xi Jinping, a book on China’s president written by U.S.-based dissident author Yu Jie, after he received a threatening phone call. According to Yu, the unidentified speaker told Wu that the book “absolutely cannot be published,” and that if he persisted, his personal safety and that of his family could not be guaranteed. Wu had initially agreed to handle the book after a first publisher, Yao Wentian of Morning Bell Press, was arrested just over the border on the mainland in October 2013. He remains in detention (see CMB No. 99).

* South China Morning Post 2/14/2014: Commercial Radio refutes sacked host Li Wei-ling’s political pressure claim
* HKJA 2/13/2014: HKJA’s statement: We will never bow to suppression of press freedom
* Wall Street Journal 2/23/2014: Thousands rally for press freedoms in Hong Kong
* CNN 2/24/2014: Hong Kong journalists: Press freedom is at an all-time low
* Apple Daily 2/25/2014: 港出版社收北京恐嚇　余杰新書叫停 [Hong Kong publisher threatened by Beijing; Yu Jie book release called off]
* New York Times 2/19/2014: A chilling phone call adds to hurdles of publishing Xi Jinping book

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BEYOND CHINA

Microsoft’s Bing accused of internationalizing Chinese censorship

On February 11, the freedom of expression group GreatFire.org accused U.S.-based Microsoft’s Bing search engine of filtering out English- and Chinese-language search results that Chinese authorities would find objectionable, even for users outside of China. Microsoft released a statement the next day, denying the allegation of intentional censorship and arguing that the main problem was erroneous “removal notification” messages in cases where results were not in fact altered. After conducting her own research, Rebecca Mackinnon, a China and internet freedom expert based in Washington, wrote in Britain’sGuardian that she attributed Bing’s apparently skewed results to “second hand censorship.” She said Microsoft was “blindly applying apolitical mathematical algorithms to politically manipulated and censored web content.” Search algorithms generally rely heavily on the amount of traffic to a website. Given the vast population of users in China, if the government blocks a certain website, the traffic to that site will be significantly lower than to those that share the same search terms but are allowed by the government. Consequently, searches in the simplified Chinese characters used in mainland China for sensitive terms like “Dalai Lama” will yield results that reflect Beijing’s censorship. However, Mackinnon noted that U.S.-based search giant Google had found a solution to this problem years ago, and that Microsoft’s weaknesses on the issue were first pointed out in 2009. Both she and GreatFire.org noted that Microsoft is a member of the Global Network Initiative, a coalition committed to protecting freedom of expression and privacy on the internet, and that it had recently taken steps to end censorship of its Skype voice and messaging service in China (see CMB No. 97). Mackinnon echoed GreatFire.org’s call for Microsoft to begin producing a “transparency report” that details the government censorship requests it receives and implements around the world, a practice Google has already adopted.

* Great Fire 2/11/2014: Bing practicing Chinese censorship globally
* Reuters 2/12/2014: Microsoft denies global censorship of China-related searches
* Guardian 2/14/2014: Where is Microsoft Bing’s transparency report?
* Bing blogs 2/12/2014: Setting the record straight

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China to help Iran build comprehensive internet controls

In a January statement posted on its official website, Iran’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced that the Chinese government would collaborate with Tehran to build the country’s National Information Network, effectively a closed intranet also known as the “clean internet.” The agreement, few concrete details of which were made public, was a result of negotiations between Nasrollah Jahangard, who heads the Iranian Information Technology Organization, and officials from China’s State Internet Information Office. Praising Beijing’s long experience in “application development services for information technology,” Jahangard said in the statement that he hoped Chinese internet companies would strengthen their presence in Iran and help enforce its information network controls. According to the U.S.-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, newly elected Iranian president Hassan Rouhani had spoken in December 2013 on the importance of the long-planned but still incomplete National Information Network, which would enable comprehensive control and monitoring of Iranians’ online activities. China and Iran have a history of cooperation on information technology, and Chinese firms have been accused of selling surveillance equipment to Iran despite U.S. and European sanctions (see CMB No. 77). China and Iran, both designated Not Free, were among the three worst performers out of 60 countries assessed in Freedom House’s 2013 Freedom on the Net report.

* International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran 1/21/2014: China to help Iran implement its closed national internet
* Tech President 1/22/2014: When it comes to internet censorship, China & Iran are all in this together
* US News 1/30/2014: China’s newest export: internet censorship 
* Freedom House 10/3/2013: Freedom on the Net 2013

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

CPJ explores Beijing’s media influence in Hong Kong and Taiwan

As part of its annual report Attacks on the Press, the New York–based Committee to Protect Journalists offered an analysis piece on Beijing’s growing influence over media in Hong Kong and Taiwan, among other threats to press freedom in recent years. The key problems cited are self-censorship, direct pressure by Beijing on local media to alter coverage, indirect rewarding of friendly outlets with advertising, and physical attacks on critical outlets. While drawing on slightly different sources, the analysis echoes the findings of an October 2013 report authored by Freedom House analyst Sarah Cook for the Center for International Media Assistance.

* CPJ 2/12/2014: Journalists in Hong Kong and Taiwan battle Beijing’s influence
* CIMA 10/22/2013: The Long Shadow of Chinese Censorship

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Harvard journal assesses state of journalism in China

The latest issue of Nieman Reports, an online journal published by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, focuses on the state of journalism in China, with 12 articles authored by prominent journalists and media observers, both foreign and Chinese. The topics addressed include updates on the authorities’ latest strategies to control social media, the economic challenges facing media in China, Chinese journalists’ methods for evading censors, and foreign correspondents’ changing approaches to covering the country. The publication is available for download in e-book format in both English and Chinese.

* Nieman Reports 2/2014: The State of Journalism in China
 

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 101: March 11, 2014

HIGHLIGHTS
* Censors, state media work to improve image of National People’s Congress 
* State news agency uses racial slur in bitter farewell to U.S. envoy
* Xi Jinping to lead new internet security committee
* Censors, police seek to control reaction to Kunming knife rampage
* Press, public raise alarm after Hong Kong editor wounded in brutal attack

Photo of the Week: Who's Rotten?

credit: Men's Health China

OTHER HEADLINES
* Official outlets spin the crisis in Ukraine
* New state-run search engine replaces unpopular predecessors
* LinkedIn unveils Chinese-language site, despite censorship concerns
* Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti formally charged with separatism
* U.S. producer announces first Chinese investment in Hollywood studio 
* Cisco cleared in one of two U.S. lawsuits on China surveillance role

Printable Version
 

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Censors, state media work to improve image of National People’s Congress 

On March 5, the annual two-week meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s rubber-stamp parliament, and its affiliated advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), opened in Beijing. One of the first events of the session was a speech by Premier Li Keqiang in which he provided a report on the government’s work over the past year and its plans for the coming year. Li departed from past practice, relaying the first part of his speech without looking down to read directly from the document. Key points of the report included an economic growth target of 7.5 percent, an increased military budget, and promises to deepen reform and follow the “rule of law.” State media were quick to praise Li’s report as “inspiring” and “achievable.” For the first time, the NPC’s press center set up its own account on Tencent’s WeChat social media platform to share updates. Meanwhile, according to China Digital Times, the authorities issued a list of 10 stories that Chinese media were barred from covering during the session, including investigations encircling former security czar Zhou Yongkang (see CMB No. 100), the disbanding of the Military Arts Troupe, and seemingly unrelated events like a commuter bus fire in Jilin and a stampede in the Guangzhou subway. Delegates were instructed to avoid behavior that drew netizen attention and ridicule in the past, such as playing with mobile devices, live microblogging, or dozing during the proceedings (see CMB Nos. 50, 82). A number of delegates were more modestly dressed than in previous years. In one example that caught international attention, Li Xiaolin, the daughter of former premier Li Peng, was seen wearing a muted suit and carrying a nondescript cloth bag. At the 2012 session, she was photographed wearing a 14,000 yuan ($2,240) salmon-pink Emilio Pucci trouser suit and a Chanel pearl necklace worth 8,000 yuan ($1,280). 

* BBC 3/6/2014: China media: Growth target
* Beijing News 3/6/2014: 李克強首秀脫稿譴責暴恐事件 [Li Keqiang departs from the script to condemn the Kunming attack]
* Jinghua News 3/6/2014: 政府工作報告新意凸現改革決心 [Government work plan emphasizes determination for reforms]
* Quartz 3/4/2014: China’s lawmakers are told to put down their phones and stay awake during this week’s rubber-stamping session
* China Digital Times 3/7/2014: Stories to [not] watch during two sessions
* South China Morning Post 3/5/2014: No more Chanel or Emilio Pucci for princeling Li Xiaolin at congress meeting, but critics unimpressed

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Official outlets spin the crisis in Ukraine

Chinese state media have scrambled to adopt an appropriate line on rapidly shifting developments in Ukraine. In February, they framed deadly clashes between protesters and police in Kyiv as the consequence of rapid political reform. An article posted on the website of the Communist Party–owned Global Times warned that drastic changes in large countries with complex ethnic and religious issues would only result in bloodshed. The article said democratization in China must be done “step by step,” or tensions in places like Tibet and Xinjiang could cause the country to fall into chaos. On February 27, after Russia responded to the ouster of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych by mobilizing troops, the People’s Daily, another party mouthpiece, criticized Western countries for their “Cold War mentality” and “resentment” toward Russia. However, in early March, Chinese officials and state media avoided detailed discussion of Russia’s moves to occupy and annex Ukraine’s Crimea region, which fundamentally violated Beijing’s strict principles of territorial integrity and noninterference in another country’s internal affairs. Instead, the Global Times focused on the standoff between Russia and the West, praising Russian president Vladimir Putin for resisting the eastern expansion of Western influence, and mocking the United States as a helpless “doormat” in the face of Russian actions. The paper argued that Russia was more important to China’s “grand strategy” than Ukraine, implying that Ukraine’s territorial integrity was a lower priority. According to a leaked February 25 media directive published by China Digital Times, Beijing ordered Chinese outlets to use only official news sources on Ukraine and avoid independent commentary. Meanwhile, Chinese netizens have expressed an array of views. While some praised the victorious Ukrainian protesters, others expressed skepticism about such tumultuous revolutions. One wrote, “Thank God that violent clashes like the ones in Ukraine didn’t happen in China. No one wants to die for the ambitions of greedy politicians.”

* New York Times 2/20/2014: Chinese paper links Ukraine strife to rapid political reform
* Offbeat China 2/25/2014: Chinese netizens: ‘China doesn’t need a Ukraine-style revolution’
* Reuters 2/26/2014: China paper slams West’s ‘Cold War mentality’ over Ukraine
* China Digital Times 2/25/2014: Minitrue: Extol a sunny outlook
* Time 3/4/2014: Russian intervention in Crimea puts China in awkward spot
* China Scope 3/5/2014: Huanqiu editorial: Chinese media should make a greater effort to support Russia and Putin
* Christian Science Monitor 3/7/2014: China to Russia: You’re putting us in a tight spot

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State news agency uses racial slur in bitter farewell to U.S. envoy

On February 27, a Chinese state-run news agency published a scathing goodbye message to U.S. ambassador Gary Locke, who announced his resignation late last year and left the post at the end of February (see CMB No. 97). Locke, the first Chinese American to serve as Washington’s top envoy to China, is known for his efforts to promote human rights and raise awareness on air pollution by releasing hourly air-quality readings from the embassy in Beijing. He also became famous in China for his humble demeanor in comparison with Chinese officials, as pictures of him carrying his own bags and queuing up at a Starbucks went viral on Chinese social media. The opinion piece from the China News Service, the second-biggest news wire in China after Xinhua, used a racist slur against Locke, describing him as a “yellow-skinned, white-hearted banana man, [whose] yellow peels will always rot, not only revealing its white core but also turning into the stomach-churning color of black.” The piece further denounced him as a “plague” that brought the dangerous smog to Beijing; a “guide dog” for blind rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng, who took shelter in the embassy after fleeing extralegal detention (see CMB No. 57); and a disgrace to his ancestors who incited “evil winds” and “evil fires” with his visits to the restive regions of Tibet and Xinjiang (see CMB No. 74). The mean-spirited article drew widespread criticism from the Chinese public. A popular microblogger wrote, “When you call him a plague, you become a national shame as you lack diplomatic etiquette, damage the manner of a great power, and lose the face of all Chinese.” Another commentator, calling the article shameless, said, “Without him, we probably still would not have known what PM2.5 is,” referring to the harmful airborne particles measured by the embassy. The public pressure that resulted from such data releases led the Chinese government to provide more accurate air quality reports. In an indication of Locke’s popularity among the Chinese public, the Chinese edition of Men’s Health featured him, looking trim and clean cut, on the cover of its February issue. Interviewed for the magazine by one of the world’s best badminton players, Lin Dan, Locke said he can hold a plank position for 51 minutes. The cover photo was consequently accompanied by the challenge, “Who can defeat Gary Locke?”

* NPR 2/28/2014: Chinese paper calls outgoing U.S. envoy ‘yellow-skinned, white-hearted banana Man’
* South China Morning Post 2/28/2014: Scorn and gratitude in China for departing US ambassador Gary Locke
* China News 2/27/2014: 別了, 駱氏家輝! [Goobye, Mr. Gary Locke!] 
* Associated Press 2/28/2014: Chinese media outlet uses racial slur at US envoy
* New York Times 2/25/2014: A magazine cover for a famously humble ambassador

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Xi Jinping to lead new internet security committee

In what was widely seen as another move by the current Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership to consolidate its power, state media reported that President Xi Jinping would head a new CCP body to coordinate the government’s work on cybersecurity and internet management, known as the Central Internet Security and Informatization Leading Group (see CMB No. 97). According to the official Xinhua news agency, the decision was announced in a statement after the group’s first meeting on February 27. The meeting was also featured in a five-minute segment on the flagship evening news broadcast of China Central Television. The new entity will be responsible for drafting a national cybersecurity strategy and overseeing relevant activity across different sectors. Premier Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan, both members of the CCP’s top-tier Politburo Standing Committee, are the deputy heads of the group. Another member of the steering group is Lu Wei, a former senior editor at Xinhua and current head of the State Internet Information Office who is known for strictly enforcing the party line. During the meeting, Xi demanded more efforts to build China into a “cyber power.” He also noted the digital gap between rural and urban areas, and the relatively low average bandwidth available to users in the country. Citing the group’s dual priorities of developing information technology and improving cybersecurity capabilities, Xi said they were “two wings of a bird and two wheels of an engine.” The news reportedly raised fears among Chinese netizens about tighter internet censorship. Liu Chun, a media executive with more than two million followers on the Sina Weibo microblogging platform, wrote, seemingly with some sarcasm, “The spring of internet has arrived … and my spring has arrived.” Meanwhile, the stocks of several Chinese internet security companies spiked the day after the announcement, according to South China Morning Post.

* Washington Post 2/27/2014: Chinese president Xi Jinping takes charge of new cybersecurity group
* Xinhua 2/27/2014: Xi Jinping leads internet security group
* Forbes 2/27/2014: China’s new small leading group on cybersecurity and internet management
* Diplomat 2/28/2014: Xi Jinping leads China’s new Internet security group
* South China Morning Post 2/28/2014: Chinese worried about more censorship as Xi Jinping heads new web security panel
* The Sinocism China Newsletter 2/27/2014

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New state-run search engine replaces unpopular predecessors

On March 1, the Chinese authorities unveiled a new state-run search engine, ChinaSo. It is the result of a merger by its predecessors, Panguso and Jike, whose homepages now redirect users to ChinaSo (see CMB Nos. 12, 26). Panguso and Jike, which were poorly received by internet users in China, tightly restricted content and captured a combined market share of less than 0.4 percent. According to unconfirmed reports cited by Sina Tech’s news site, ChinaSo will be run by Zhou Xisheng, vice president of the official Xinhua news agency. Multiple other Chinese news articles reported that staff from Xinhua and the Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily, including its deputy editor, would form a team to manage the content of the search engine, an indication of the tight censorship it will likely employ. The website’s choice of colors for its logo and buttons for functions such as news and mapping services are remarkably similar to those of the U.S.-based search engine giant Google. Given that all search engines operating in China are obliged to comply with state censorship rules—including the top-ranked, privately run Baidu—ChinaSo has so far been described by netizens as a “waste of taxpayer money.” Some said they would use the search engine only for finding official statements or documents.

* International Business Times 3/5/2014: China’s government owned search engine ‘ChinaSo’ unveiled amid increased internet censorship concerns
* South China Morning Post 3/3/2014: China has a new state-run search engine – but will anyone use it? 
* Tech in Asia 3/3/2014: China has a new state-run search engine that nobody will ever use

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LinkedIn unveils Chinese-language site, despite censorship concerns 

On February 24, LinkedIn, a popular international networking platform for professionals, unveiled a Chinese-language version of its website. Its English site has been available in China for more than a decade, reportedly attracting more than four million Chinese-speaking users. In a blog post, LinkedIn chief executive Jeff Weiner admitted that the company’s expansion in China was challenging, because Beijing “imposes censorship requirements on internet platforms.” However, he stressed that LinkedIn supports freedom of expression and would be transparent with users about its practices in China, adding that it had sought input from experts in business, policy, and human rights fields before finalizing its decision to launch a Chinese-language version. In a separate blog post, LinkedIn China president Derek Shen introduced additional features of the new site, which allows users of the popular microblogging service Sina Weibo and messaging platform Tencent WeChat to import their contacts to LinkedIn and reach a broader audience with their status updates. Following the announcement, shares of LinkedIn rose 5 percent on February 25. Investors appeared optimistic about the company’s operations in China, as the service is less frequently used to share politically sensitive information than platforms like Twitter or Facebook, which are blocked in China. Nevertheless, LinkedIn was briefly blocked in February 2011, reportedly after a China-based user inspired by the Arab Spring posted entries calling for democracy and freedom in China (see CMB No. 12). SlideShare, a document-sharing platform owned by LinkedIn, was blocked in 2012 and remains inaccessible, according to the website Greatfire.org (see CMB No. 65). Given the apparent integration between the Chinese LinkedIn version and heavily censored domestic platforms like Sina Weibo, it remains to be seen how the company will handle status updates and news sharing that might run afoul of censors. 

* LinkedIn 2/24/2014: Introducing LinkedIn’s simplified Chinese beta site
* LinkedIn 2/24/2014: LinkedIn in China: Connecting the world’s professionals
* CNN 2/25/2014: LinkedIn makes China connection
* Time 2/27/2014: Why China is a nightmare for American internet companies
* PRWeb 3/7/2014: Linkedin’s acceptance of China’s censorship laws controversial? BRIC Language & Consulting founder says no
* Greatfire.org (accessed 3/12/2014)

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Censors, police seek to control reaction to Kunming knife rampage

A group of knife-wielding assailants rampaged through the Kunming train station in Yunnan Province on March 1, leaving at least 29 people dead and more than a hundred injured. Although the authorities have provided little information about the episode, China’s state media were quick to call it a terrorist attack perpetrated by Uighur separatists who had sought to leave the country on “jihad.” The State Council Information Office issued a directive instructing media to restrict their coverage to wire reports from the official Xinhua news agency and information provided by local authorities. Media outside Yunnan appeared to downplay the incident, possibly because of the close timing with the National People’s Congress meeting in Beijing; the attack initially received minimal or no mention on the front pages of influential newspapers like theBeijing News and Southern Metropolis Daily. And while the state media urged the public to avoid blaming all Uighurs for the actions of a few extremists, they slammed some Western media for refraining from using the term “terrorists” to describe the perpetrators. Authorities worked to deter online comments that question the official account of the incident, call for more transparency, or seek to explore the attackers’ motives. Police issued a number of warnings accompanied by screen shots of posts by some of the most vocal microbloggers, threatening to take legal action against anyone whose writings “disregard facts” and “mix black with white.” In addition to naming and shaming prominent bloggers, the authorities sought to punish “rumors and panic mongering” related to the Kunming massacre. Police said on March 6 that 45 people had been detained or cautioned for “disturbing public order” with their social media posts. The official warnings and statements generated a backlash from some users. Li Chengpeng, whose microblog on Sina Weibo has more than 7 million followers, responded defiantly to police criticism, writing, “I am right here at home waiting for you to arrest me!”

* Xinhua 3/4/2014: China journalist association slams Western media on Kunming attack coverage
* Reporters Without Borders 3/4/2014: Authorities censor coverage of Kunming station attack
* South China Morning Post 3/2/2014: While world reels in shock at Kunming attack, news is notably absent from China’s front pages
* South China Morning Post 3/7/2014: Beijing police threaten action against microbloggers over Kunming attack comments
* Financial Times 3/7/2014: China’s internet police crack down on ‘panic mongering’
* Radio Free Asia 3/7/2014: China’s Kunming attacks spark online rumors, comment and crackdown
* China Digital Times 3/5/2014: Netizen voices: ‘Why not call them Chinese terrorists?’

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XINJIANG

Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti formally charged with separatism

Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur activist and economics professor at Beijing’s Central Nationalities University, has been formally detained in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, on separatism charges. He was taken from his home in Beijing by police on January 15, but his status was unknown until February 25, when his wife, Guzaili Nu’er, received an arrest warrant and notice of the separatism charges (see CMB No. 99). Li Fangping, Tohti’s lawyer, said he was barred from meeting his client when he traveled to Urumqi. At least five of Tohti’s students were also apparently detained; the families of three received notice of their separatism and “revealing state secrets” charges by telephone on February 24, more than a month after they were taken. In addition to speaking regularly with foreign media, Tohti has been a vocal online critic of Beijing’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang. He recently expressed concern on his website regarding the increased pressure on Uighur people since October, when a deadly incident in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square was blamed on Uighur separatists. In late January, the authorities in Urumqi alleged in an online statement that Tohti had used his website to cause trouble, spread separatism, incite violence and ethnic hatred, and recruit followers. Tohti’s lawyer and other supporters rejected the claims, and the news of Tohti’s formal charges drew international criticism, including from the U.S. State Department and the European Union.

* BBC 2/26/2014: China Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti on separatism charge
* Radio Free Asia 2/26/2014: Three students of Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti formally arrested
* Guardian 2/26/2014: China condemned for charging Uighur academic Ilham Tohti with separatism

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HONG KONG

Press, public raise alarm after editor wounded in brutal attack

Thousands of people marched in downtown Hong Kong on March 2 to condemn the recent rise in violence faced by local journalists, and particularly a February 26 incident in which a man armed with a cleaver seriously wounded Kevin Lau Chun-to, the recently ousted chief editor of Ming Pao newspaper (see CMB Nos. 90, 99, 100). Commenting on the attack for the first time, Lau told Ming Pao in an interview published March 9 that he was struck six times with the cleaver, which left deep gashes and narrowly missed vital organs. Police said the case was a “classic triad hit,” with the attacker fleeing on a motorbike driven by an accomplice. Lau did not speak about press freedom issues during the interview, but Ming Pao, which offered a reward of HK$3 million ($387,000) for information leading to the capture of the suspects, said in a separate article that the incident left Hong Kong journalists with a fear that “freedom is steadily vanishing.” Other Hong Kong papers, such asApple Daily and South China Morning Post, also raised concern that previous cases of assaults on journalists—some dating back many years—had yet to be solved. On March 12, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that nine people had been arrested in connection with the Lau attack, with at least two suspected of ties to organized crime, though Hong Kong police said they were still attempting to determine a motive.

* Bloomberg 3/2/2014: Thousands in Hong Kong protest cleaver attack on journalist
* South China Morning Post 3/5/2014: ‘My pelvic bone blocked the knife’: Kevin Lau says his attacker showed no mercy
* BBC 2/28/2014: Hong Kong news editor Kevin Lau improving after attack
* New York Times 2/27/2014: Journalists fear attack on Hong Kong editor won't be solved
* BBC 3/12/2014: Kevin Lau stabbing: Nine held over attack in Hong Kong 

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BEYOND CHINA

U.S. producer announces first Chinese investment in Hollywood studio 

On March 10, Hollywood producer Robert Simonds and his backers, Texas-based private equity firm TPG Growth and Chinese investment firm Hony Capital, announced the formation of a studio venture to fill a perceived dearth of movies with midsized budgets, big-name stars, and global appeal. The group aims to invest more than $1 billion over the next five years, producing as many as 10 films a year. The deal marked the first investment by a Chinese company in a Hollywood studio. Simonds reportedly sought out Hony Capital not just for its abundant capital, with roughly $7 billion under management, but also its close ties with China’s second-largest media group, state-owned Shanghai Media Group (SMG), whose distribution network would help the new studio gain access to the vast and fast-growing Chinese movie market. Other foreign media enterprises have also been attempting to reach Chinese viewers. Days before the Simonds announcement, U.S.-based Disney Studios announced a partnership with SMG to develop films for Chinese audiences. And it was reported in late February that BBC Worldwide had signed a deal with the popular Chinese video site Sohu that will offer some of the British broadcaster’s documentary and drama programs to Sohu’s 591 million users.

* Variety 3/10/2014: Robert Simonds, Gigi Pritzker Pact with TPG, China’s Hony Capital on production venture
* New York Times 3/10/2014: New movie studio is formed, with China and self-distribution in mind
* Hollywood Reporter 3/10/2014: Producer Robert Simonds partners with TPG, China's Hony Capital for new studio venture
* Hollywood Reporter 3/5/2014: Disney to develop Chinese co-productions with Shanghai Media Group
* Hollywood Reporter 2/25/2014: BBC signs content deal with Chinese video site Sohu

*******************

Cisco cleared in one of two U.S. lawsuits on China surveillance role

On February 24, a federal district court in Maryland cleared the U.S.-based networking equipment manufacturer Cisco Systems of liability for human rights abuses in China in a case filed by Du Daobin, a previously imprisoned writer, and other Chinese dissidents (see CMB No. 25). The judge dismissed the case, saying Cisco was not responsible for Chinese authorities’ use of the “Golden Shield” censorship and surveillance project to find, arrest, and torture political dissidents. The case was filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act, a 1789 law that has been used by foreign nationals to seek redress for human rights abuses in American courts. The judge sidestepped some of the key legal questions related to corporate accountability by ruling that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case. But he added that “from all that appears, Cisco technology remains a neutral product that can be used in innumerable non-controversial ways," and that the Chinese plaintiffs “failed to indicate with any logic what it means to customize technology that would permit the sort of human rights violations alleged here, such as torture.” Cisco welcomed the decision, while the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which had submitted a brief in support of the plaintiffs, challenged the legal basis for the dismissal and the judge’s assertion about Cisco’s role in “Golden Shield.” In a blog post, the EFF acknowledged that a company should not be held accountable when governments misuse general-use technologies for nefarious purposes, but the group argued that Cisco had done more than provide basic equipment. The EFF said the company’s contribution “included actively customizing, marketing and providing support for its monitoring and censorship technologies even as it knew that they would be used to identify, locate, and surveil Chinese democracy and religious freedom activists.” It remained unclear whether the plaintiffs planned to appeal. The case is one of two Cisco is facing in U.S. courts. The other was filed in California on behalf of practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement (see CMB No. 23, 32). In that case, it may be more difficult for a judge to dismiss Cisco’s link to rights abuses, as a leaked company marketing presentation explicitly states that Cisco products can help Chinese officials “combat Falun Gong” and “other hostilities.”

* Agence France-Presse 2/28/2014: Cisco cleared in rights case, as tech sector watches
* Electronic Frontier Foundation 2/27/2014: Maryland court dismisses landmark case that sought to hold Cisco responsible for violating human rights
 

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House's biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People's Republic of China

Issue No. 103: April 9, 2014
HIGHLIGHTS
* Court backs lawyer’s freedom of information appeal, new guidelines issued 
* Dissident artist Ai Weiwei to star in ‘secret’ sci-fi short film
* Jailed Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti wins U.S. rights award
* U.S. judge upholds Baidu’s right to censor search results
* Reader’s Digest drops Australian novel at behest of Chinese printer

OTHER HEADLINES
* Online censors, state media seek to control news on Maoming protests
* Sichuan activist Tan Zuoren completes prison term, location unknown
* Tibetan writer released after four-year prison term
* Efforts to ease cybersecurity tensions drive U.S., EU, China exchanges
* Beijing tries to force removal of dance troupe’s Brussels ads ahead of Xi visit

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Court backs lawyer’s freedom of information appeal, new guidelines issued

On April 1, the Guangzhou Intermediate Court ruled in favor of Zhejiang Province lawyer Wu Youshui in a lawsuit against Guangdong Province’s Health and Family Planning Commission for its refusal to disclose information Wu had requested under China’s freedom of information regulations. Wu submitted an open government information (OGI) request in July 2013, asking the commission to disclose the amount and utilization of “social maintenance fees,” fines collected from individuals who give birth to more than the allowed number of children under China’s family planning policies. The commission refused to provide such information, claiming that it dealt with “internal management issues” and was thus exempt from disclosure. Challenging the legal basis for the decision, Wu resorted to the Intermediate Court for judicial review, though the family planning commission later reversed its position and released the requested information to the media while the lawsuit was pending. The court agreed with Wu and ordered the commission to reprocess the OGI request within 15 days after the ruling takes effect. Such court decisions have been relatively infrequent since passage of OGI regulations in 2008, but this decision garnered support from Chinese state-run media. The day after it was reported, the Beijing News ran an editorial discussing the need to improve the mechanisms for holding government agencies accountable when they fail to comply with open government regulations. The piece was republished by the official outlets Xinhua Online and People’s Daily Online. Wu’s case is consistent with Beijing’s recent effort to bolster OGI regulations, allowing more public access to government-held information. On March 17, China’s State Council General Office had issued a set of annual priorities for OGI work that aim to increase transparency regarding the government’s exercise of administrative powers. According to Professor Jamie Horsley of Yale Law School, the OGI priorities reflect the Chinese authorities’ dual policy goals of releasing more information of broad concern while anticipating and managing public opinion in order to preserve social stability.

* Freedominfo.org 4/4/2014: China deepens its disclosure regime 
* General Office of the State Council 3/17/2014: 国务院办公厅关于印发2014年政府信息公开工作要点的通知 [Regarding 2014 OGI work guidelines announced by the General Office of the State Council] 
* Jin Hua Daily 4/2/2014: 政府公开信息要避“官谣” 地方部门建权力清单 [State Council issues new guidelines on Open Government Information disclosure, asks local authorities to establish inventory of administrative powers]
* China Media Project 4/4/2014: Lawyer wins open information case in Guangzhou 
* Sina 4/4/2014: 廣東衛計委拒絕公開社會撫養費一審敗訴 [Guangdong’s Health and Family Planning Commission loses open information lawsuit]
* Beijing News 4/2/2014: 政府信息公开不到位，问责要到位 [When open government information lags behind, responsibility must be assigned]

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Dissident artist Ai Weiwei to star in ‘secret’ sci-fi short film

Dissident Chinese artist and blogger Ai Weiwei will make his acting debut in a short science-fiction film, The Sandstorm, playing a smuggler of water in a futuristic China where the resource is as scarce as reliable information. The film was directed and written by Jason Wishnow, former head of video for the popular lecture platform TED Talks, and shot clandestinely in Beijing by acclaimed cinematographer Christopher Doyle. On April 2, Wishnow launched an online fundraising campaign to support the movie’s postproduction work. The campaign, on the Kickstarter website, quickly reached its goal of $33,000 within three days and had earned almost double that by April 8, drawing more than 1,500 supporters. According to Wishnow, the 10-minute movie took two days to film; the production crew used code names, communicated via various methods, and attempted to film undercover to avoid scrutiny from the authorities, who keep Ai under close watch (see CMB No. 96). In a video posted on Kickstarter, Ai indicated that the film addressed censorship issues in China. “It’s not really [a story] about water,” he said. “It’s really about information.”

* Hollywood Reporter 4/2/2014: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei starring in ‘secret’ sci-fi film shot in Beijing 
* Kickstarter 4/3/2014: A secret sci-fi film shot in China
* South China Morning Post 4/7/2014: Ai Weiwei makes acting debut in crowd-funded sci-fi film ‘The Sandstorm’
* Los Angeles Times 4/5/2014: Ai Weiwei’s acting debut ‘a bit more badass than big teddy bear’ 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Online censors, state media seek to control news on Maoming protests

On March 30, hundreds of people in Maoming, Guangdong Province, mounted the first in a series of protests against the construction of a paraxylene (PX) plant in the city (see CMB No.88). Although the demonstration began peacefully, police allegedly used violence to disperse the protesters, with unconfirmed reports claiming that many were injured and some killed. The authorities initially attempted to keep a tight grip on any news about the incident. The Guangdong Propaganda Department issued media directives ordering websites to remove relevant content. However, a list of names and telephone numbers of detained protesters was circulated online. Images showing chaotic scenes, including an overturned car in flames and bloodied people lying on the ground, quickly went viral on the Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo. Though some of the photos were shown to be fake, having been taken from earlier and unrelated events, netizens expressed fury at the local authorities, who had called the protest a “grave violation” by criminals. Weibo censors deleted related images and postings that combined “Maoming” with terms like “PX,” “police,” and “bloody”. Meanwhile, sympathy protests began to break out in nearby cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Not all posts on the topic were deleted. According to the Diplomat, one uncensored posting urged users to sign a petition on the White House website to seek U.S. president Barack Obama’s help in ending the violence. The websites of state media outlets also began to cover the topic, though from the government’s angle. The Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily created a special webpage to debunk allegedly false information and images on Maoming, labeling them as “rumors.” In a separate article, the party-owned Global Times reported on April 7 that the entry for PX on Baidu Baike, a Chinese online encyclopedia similar to Wikipedia, was edited 35 times on the day of the initial protest, which led to the temporary shutdown of the edit function. In the days after the clashes, the Maoming government did not indicate whether it planned to stop the chemical plant project, but it said on its Weibo account, “If a majority of residents object, we will not make a decision contrary to public opinion.” 

* Quartz 4/3/2014: China’s censorship is fueling dissent instead of quashing it 
* China Digital Times 4/5/2014: Sensitive Words: Maoming PX protest 
* China Digital Times 4/2/2014: After protests, state media tries to ease PX anxiety 
* Global Times 4/4/2014: Maoming PX battle spills into edit war 
* Diplomat 4/5/2014: Maoming protests continue in Southern China 
* Financial Times 4/2/2014: Chinese police detain Guangzhou protesters 

*******************

Sichuan activist Tan Zuoren completes prison term, location unknown

Tan Zouren, a Chinese activist who had published an independent report online about the role of shoddy school construction in the deaths of thousands of children in the 2008 Sichuan Province earthquake, was reportedly taken by the authorities to an undisclosed location in Chongqing, rather than to his home in Chengdu, upon his completion of a five-year prison term on March 27 (see CMB No. 22). Tan was first detained in March 2009 after releasing his report, but the indictment for “inciting subversion of state power” rested on an essay he wrote in 2007 on the 1989 democracy movement. Dissident artist and blogger Ai Weiwei, who had also investigated the Sichuan school collapses, welcomed the end of Tan’s prison term but said he would still be subject to official monitoring and restrictions on his speech. Tan’s lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang, said he had been wrongfully convicted, concluding, “The country owes him five years.” Searches for Tan’s name on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo were reportedly blocked following his release.

* Agence France-Presse 3/27/2014: Chinese earthquake activist Tan Zuoren released after five-year prison term 
* HRIC 3/27/2014: Released Sichuan rights activist Tan Zuoren reportedly taken to undisclosed location in Chongqing 
* South China Morning Post 3/28/2014: Sichuan quake activist Tan Zuoren defiant after release from prison 
* China Digital Times 4/2/2014: Sensitive: PX protests, tigers, more 

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TIBET & XINJIANG

Tibetan writer released after four-year prison term

According to Radio Free Asia, Tashi Rabten, a Tibetan writer who was sentenced to four years in prison for “inciting separatism” in June 2011, was released from Sichuan Province’s Mianyang prison on March 29 after completing his term (see CMB No. 24). Rabten, known by the pen name Teurang, was the editor of the banned Tibetan-language magazine Shar Dungri(Eastern Snow Mountain). He had also published a book entitled Written in Blood, which, along with the magazine, discussed issues related to Beijing’s repressive policies in Tibet. He was detained in July 2009 for the book and was reportedly subjected to nearly a month of intense interrogation. The following year, he was taken from the Northwest Nationalities University in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, and held for a year without trial. According to Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet, three other editors of Shar Dungri were also sentenced to three to four years in prison in December 2010 for their writings. The authorities regularly arrest and imprison Tibetan cultural figures who promote Tibetan identity or address official repression in the region (see CMB No. 98).

* Radio Free Asia 3/31/2014: Tibetan writer released after four years in jail
* TCHRD 4/1/2014: Roar of the Snow Lion: Tibetan writer Tashi Rabten released after 4 years in prison 
* English PEN 7/12/2014: China/Tibet: Writer and editor Tashi Rabten sentenced

*******************

Jailed Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti wins U.S. rights award

The New York–based PEN American Center announced on March 31 that Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur activist and economics professor at Beijing’s Central Nationalities University, is the winner of the 2014 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Tohti was detained in Beijing in January and charged with separatism in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, after the authorities accused him of encouraging his students to use violence against the government and recruiting followers through his minority rights website Uyghur Online (see CMB No. 101). The PEN American Center said Tohti’s daughter Jewher Ilham, a student at Indiana University, would travel to the ceremony in New York on May 5 to accept the award on his behalf. The statement expressed the hope that the attention and pressure generated by the award would spur a global effort to win Tohti’s freedom. In reaction to the news, China’s foreign ministry said on April 1 that Tohti was a suspected criminal and that no organizations should interfere with China’s “judicial sovereignty.” In an April 3 editorial, the Communist Party–owned newspaper Global Times observed that even as China struggles with “terrorism” in Xinjiang, “the West still tries to meddle in China’s affairs through its universal values such as human rights and freedom of expression.” However, the paper argued, Chinese dissidents who share such values “have diverging interests with mainstream society.” According to a statement released by Xinjiang’s judicial, cultural, and public security organs on March 31, the government will increase its crackdown on video and audio files that promote terrorism, religious extremism, and separatism. It stressed that such content is banned on mobile devices, social media, and online markets.

* PEN America 3/31/2014: PEN honors Ilham Tohti with PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award 
* Reuters 4/1/2014: China angered as detained Uighur academic wins rights prize 
* Associated Press 3/31/2014: Imprisoned Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti honoured by PEN American Center 
* Global Times 4/3/2014: Spiritual support from West fosters separatism in Xinjiang
* Reuters 3/30/2014: China to crack down on videos, audios promoting terrorism 
* Tencent News 3/31/2014: 新疆:严禁传播暴力恐怖音视频违者可追刑责 [Xinjiang: Videos, audios promoting terrorism are strictly banned, violation can lead to jail terms]

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BEYOND CHINA

U.S. judge upholds Baidu’s right to censor search results

On March 27, a federal judge in New York dismissed a lawsuit in which democracy activists alleged that China’s leading search engine, Baidu, had violated their civil rights by suppressing politically sensitive speech. The eight New York writers and video producers accused Baidu of creating algorithms, at the behest of the Chinese government, to block content that advocated democracy in China from its search results, even for users in the United States (see CMB No. 23). U.S. district court judge Jesse Furman ruled that Baidu’s search results themselves constituted protected speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He concluded that First Amendment jurisprudence “all but compels” this conclusion, as Baidu’s exercise of “editorial judgment” in applying algorithms to retrieve and organize information is similar to that of a newspaper editor who decides what stories to run and where to place them. To rule otherwise, he said, would contravene the bedrock First Amendment principle that “the government may not prohibit the expression of any idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive of disagreeable.” Furman wrote, “The First Amendment protects Baidu’s right to advocate for systems of government other than democracy (in China or elsewhere) just as surely as it protects Plaintiffs’ rights to advocate for democracy.” The plaintiffs’ lawyer said his clients would appeal, remarking, “The court has laid out a perfect paradox: that it will allow the suppression of free speech, in the name of free speech.”

* Reuters 3/28/2014: US judge rules Baidu has First Amendment right to block content 
* International Business Times 3/27/2014: China’s biggest Internet company Baidu wins US censorship lawsuit 
* U.S. District Court 3/27/2014: Opinion and order: Jian Zhang et al. v. Baidu.com Inc. 

*******************

Efforts to ease cybersecurity tensions drive U.S., EU, China exchanges

Cybersecurity has been on the agenda at multiple meetings between American, European, and Chinese officials in recent weeks. During a U.S.-China side meeting at a multilateral summit in the Netherlands on March 24, U.S. president Barack Obama defended U.S. surveillance programs, stating that the United States only engages in spying for national security purposes, never for commercial advantage. The matter arose after Xi expressed concerns over recent revelations from documents leaked by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had tapped into the computer systems of the Chinese telecommunications corporation Huawei (see CMB No. 102). Washington has also reportedly been trying to allay Beijing’s fears of the United States’ increasing offensive cyberwarfare capabilities. According to an April 6 article in the New York Times, American officials in recent months held an unusual private briefing with Chinese military leaders to share some of the Pentagon’s plans and policies, partly in the hope that the Chinese would reciprocate and help avoid uncontrolled escalation in any future standoff. However, as a visit to China by U.S. defense secretary Chuck Hagel was drawing to a close, it became evident that the Chinese would not offer a similar briefing. Separately, as Xi concluded a 10-day tour of Europe, a Chinese policy paper released on April 2 cited greater cooperation on cybersecurity as one of China’s intended goals for its relations with the European Union in the coming years. The policy paper included references to improved dialogue between Beijing and Brussels, greater cooperation to fight online crime and respond to cybersecurity threats, and plans to bolster platforms like the China-EU Cyber Taskforce. The paper indicated that one of the motivations for the enhanced cooperation is to “help soothe EU concerns of the so-called China threat.”

* Los Angeles Times 3/24/2014: Obama defends NSA spying in meeting with Chinese president 
* New York Times 4/6/2014: U.S. tries candor to assure China on cyberattacks 
* Associated Press 4/7/2014: China gives Hagel access to aircraft carrier, but not cybersecurity policy 
* South China Morning Post 4/4/2014: China to work with EU on cybersecurity as Xi wraps up Europe tour 
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China 4/2/2014: China’s Policy Paper on the EU: Deepen the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Mutual Benefit and Win-win Cooperation 

*******************

Beijing tries to force removal of dance troupe’s Brussels ads ahead of Xi visit

In late March, in advance of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Brussels, Chinese officials reportedly pressured Belgian authorities to remove billboards and posters advertising an upcoming Chinese dance show by Shen Yun Performing Arts. Shen Yun, a New York–based classical Chinese dance troupe whose performances typically include some pieces depicting the persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual group in China, was scheduled to perform in the city from April 2 to 6, shortly after Xi’s departure. Representatives of BHS Promotion, an ad agency handling advertising for Shen Yun, told the online magazine EUobserver on March 28 that they had received a call from Brussels police asking for the removal of posters and a billboard near the entrance of the Sheraton hotel, where Xi would be staying, on the grounds that they posed “problems for diplomacy.” Brussels police also reportedly sent a letter to the local Falun Gong Association, the organizer of the performance, urging removal of posters on the route leading from the hotel to the European Commission. A spokesman for the association told EUobserver that police referred to pressure from Chinese diplomats as the cause. The police ultimately withdrew both requests, but media reported that some posters on the president’s route were covered by Chinese flags, presumably by overseas Chinese students assembled to welcome him. The attempted censorship sparked public discussion of the Chinese government’s efforts to restrict freedom of expression surrounding Xi’s visit. It occurred alongside reports that human rights groups were denied permission to demonstrate in certain locations, and that the European Union was not holding a joint press conference with Xi at the Chinese government’s request. According to media reports, European Parliament vice president Edward McMillan-Scott sent a letter to the mayor of Brussels stating that such attempts to interfere with Shen Yun’s performances have occurred in past years and that he was glad to see the problem resolved, while the Flemish Green Party called on Brussels police to “prevent China from exporting cultural censorship.” The shows from April 2 to 6 were ultimately well attended and took place without incident.

* EUobserver 3/28/2014: Belgian police try to censor posters ahead of China visit
* Epoch Times 3/31/2014: Chinese embassy seeks to remove Shen Yun banners in Brussels 
* Le Monde 3/30/2014: En visite en Belgique, le président chinois fixe ses conditions [On visit to Belgium, Chinese president sets conditions] 
* L’Avenir 3/30/2014: Xi Jinping arrive à Bruxelles pour une visite de trois jours [Xi Jinping arrives in Brussels for three-day visit]

*******************

Reader’s Digest drops Australian novel at behest of Chinese printer

On March 24, a senior editor at Reader’s Digest Australia telephoned Australian author LA Larkin to inform her that the printing of an anthology that included a condensed form of her fictional thriller Thirst was encountering problems. The China-based printer had noticed passing references to “torture” and “Falun Gong,” a meditation and spiritual practice that is persecuted in China, and was insisting the content be removed if the printing were to go ahead. The story is set in an Antarctic research station, and Chinese state repression is not a major theme of the novel. Nonetheless, the editors suggested that the words be changed to “torment” and “religious belief.” Larkin refused, stating that such changes would amount to censorship and would alter the backstory of a character in the novel, who fled China for Australia after being detained for practicing Falun Gong and who refers to horrific torture endured by her mother. “This is not is a matter of the condensers’ literary judgment but an imposition by a third party. The changes distort my opinions and the context of my story,” she told theSydney Morning Herald. The publisher then decided to drop her work in its entirety from the anthology. The incident represented an unusual and disconcerting dynamic in the growing trend of transnational Chinese censorship. The book was being published in English and was not meant for distribution in China, but rather in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and India, and the pressure came from a Chinese printer that was likely enforcing its own self-censorship rather than responding directly to demands from the authorities. The managing director of Reader’s Digest Australia defended the decision to drop Larkin’s story, admitting that the book could have been printed elsewhere but at greater expense. The company reportedly told Larkin that moving the process to Hong Kong would have cost $30,000. As news of the censorship spread, Larkin received much support on Twitter, including from other major literary figures. Some observers noted that the incident was an ironic about-face for Reader’s Digest, which was stridently anticommunist during the Cold War.

* Sydney Morning Herald 4/2/2014: Reader’s Digest drawn into Chinese censorship row over Australian novelist LA Larkin
* Guardian 3/29/2014: How Reader’s Digest became a Chinese stooge 
* ABC 4/4/2014: Caving to insidious Chinese censorship

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People's Republic of China

Issue No. 104: April 22, 2014

HIGHLIGHTS
* Xinhua reporter’s exposé prompts graft probe against chair of state-owned firm
* Released on bail, prominent microblogger toes government line
* New ‘antipornography’ campaign announced, activist‘s WeChat account closed
* Sina Weibo’s U.S. IPO raises less than anticipated 
* Mandiant report says China’s online espionage has resumed after pause

OTHER HEADLINES
* Chinese film awards withheld, Oliver Stone denounces censorship
* Netizen sentenced to prison for ‘rumor mongering’ 
* Newspaper reveals case of bribery to delete online content 
* Lanzhou netizens complain of delay in official notice of water contamination
* New Citizens Movement members sentenced, book and website launched
* Australian broadcaster to sign deal granting greater access to Chinese viewers

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Xinhua reporter’s exposé prompts graft probe against chair of state-owned firm

The Ministry of Supervision and the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced in an April 17 statement that they had launched an investigation into Song Lin, the chairman of state-owned China Resources Holding Co., after a journalist at a newspaper owned by the official Xinhua news agency accused him of engaging in graft. Wang Wenzhi, a reporter at Economic Information Daily, made the allegations in an April 15 open letter addressed to the party disciplinary commission. The letter was not published in the newspaper, which requires strict adherence to state censorship directives, but on Wang’s personal Sina Weibo microblogging account. It was briefly deleted by censors before being restored on April 16. Wang wrote that Song had used his influence to arrange for Yang Lijuan—reportedly Song’s former mistress—to work at the Hong Kong and Shanghai branches of global financial services firm UBS. In return, the journalist alleged, Yang had helped Song launder money he gained through corruption. “Yang Lijuan and her relatives now hold assets of more than one billion yuan ($160.7 million) overseas, with a large number of villas and other luxury properties in Suzhou, Changzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong and other places, as well as huge deposits in domestic and foreign banks.” Song denied the allegations on April 16 and vowed to take legal action against the “rumor-monger.” However, China Resources confirmed the next day that he was suspected of serious violations of party discipline and law. Wang had previously published a report in July 2013 that accused the company of deliberately overpaying for the acquisition of a coal mine in Shanxi Province in 2010. Zhu Xinxin, a former editor at a provincial television station in Hebei, told Radio Free Asia that many Xinhua reporters have close ties to government officials, suggesting that Wang’s revelation and the subsequent action taken against Song were likely backed by political forces.

* Radio Free Asia 4/16/2014: Xinhua journalist renews allegations against China resources chief 
* Financial Times 4/16/2014: China resources chief faces allegations from Xinhua journalist 
* Xinhua 4/19/2014: Graft probe into China Resources chairman Song Lin confirmed 
* South China Morning Post 4/17/2014: China Resources chairman Song Lin investigated for graft after journalist’s accusations 

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Chinese film awards withheld, Oliver Stone denounces censorship

At the ceremony for the annual China Film Directors’ Guild Awards on April 10, prominent director Feng Xiaogang announced that no prizes would be issued for best picture or best director, raising speculation that the decision was meant as a protest against film censorship imposed by the Chinese authorities. Specifically, some observers interpreted the move as a response to censors’ suppression of prominent director Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin, which had received an award at the international film festival in Cannes, France, but was not allowed to reach theaters in China. Feng had openly complained of censorship in a speech at the previous year’s ceremony (see CMB No. 86). However, he explained the decision to withhold the two awards this year by stating that while the Chinese market had flourished amid growing domestic box-office revenue and collaborations with Hollywood, the overall artistic quality of Chinese films had declined. Although many international filmmakers are willing to self-censor on sensitive topics to win coproduction and distribution deals in China, outspoken American director Oliver Stone on April 17 urged China to stimulate its industry by removing restrictions on films dealing with historical topics. Speaking on a panel at the Beijing International Film Festival, Stone said Chinese filmmakers should be able to make movies about controversial events like the Cultural Revolution, led by the Communist Party founder Mao Zedong. “You do that, you open up, you stir the waters and you allow true creativity to emerge in this country.” In the presence of senior officials from China’s media regulators, Stone said with frustration that Mao was never criticized in Chinese movies, adding, “It’s about time.” Although the moderator attempted to steer the discussion onto safer ground, the director reiterated his point. “You have to protect the country against the separatist movements, against the Uighurs or the Tibetans, I can understand not doing that subject. But not your history, for Christ’s sake.” His frank comments received applause from the audience and wider praise, though his concession regarding the repressed Tibetan and Uighur populations was criticized by prominent Tibet scholar Robert Barnett, among others.

* China Digital Times 4/17/2014: The best and worst of times for China’s film industry 
* Hollywood Reporter 4/9/2014: Major Chinese film awards refuses to name best picture 
* Hollywood Reporter 4/16/2014: Oliver Stone slams Chinese film industry at Beijing festival 
* Economist 4/17/2012: Oliver Stone crashes the party 
* Guardian 4/17/2014: Oliver Stone: China’s film-makers need to confront country’s past 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Released on bail, prominent microblogger toes government line 

Charles Xue, an American-Chinese businessman and formerly prominent social-media commentator, was released from custody on April 16 after almost eight months in detention. Beijing police confirmed in a microblog post that he had been freed on bail, citing both his “serious illnesses” and his repentance. It remains unclear whether he will face trial, as in China those who confess in such cases are sometimes spared further detention if they continue to behave in accordance with the government’s instructions. Xue was detained in August 2013 on a charge of soliciting prostitutes. But a televised confession the following month focused on his influence as a popular commentator on the Sina Weibo microblogging platform, leading many to conclude that the authorities sought to make an example of him amid a wider crackdown on social media (see CMB No. 93). Shortly after his release, Xue was shown on the state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) for a second time, again engaging in what resembled a Mao-era self-criticism. On April 17, the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Dailypublished a written confession reportedly authored by Xue (using his legal name, Xue Biqun, rather than his pen name, Xue Manzi) in which he apologized and acknowledged the appropriateness of his punishment. He also warned other online users to take heed. “I hope that Big V’s and little V’s active on Weibo will take this as a warning that with every posting you must consider your responsibility to society…. Without self-discipline, you are the next Xue Manzi.” On April 19, Xue made his first appearance on Weibo since his arrest, reiterating similar thoughts in several posts. He also said he intends to focus on recovering his health and pursuing more constructive activities, like helping Chinese youth become entrepreneurs and realize the “China Dream,” a reference to a slogan coined by President Xi Jinping shortly after he assumed leadership of the Communist Party in November 2012. Most of Xue’s Weibo followers pledged their support in their comments, though some questioned the seemingly forced nature of his remarks.

* Reuters 4/16/2014: China releases blogger on bail, jails another amid rumor crackdown 
* People’s Daily 4/17/2014: "薛蛮子"被取保候审（热点解读）[‘Xue Manzi’ released on bail (analysis)] 
* Wall Street Journal 4/19/2014: Out on bail, Chinese social media star Xue Manzi returns to Weibo 
* New York Times 4/17/2014: An internet ‘Big V’ opts for abject contrition 

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New ‘antipornography’ campaign announced, activist’s WeChat account closed

An article published in a Communist Party–run news outlet on April 14 revealed that the authorities are conducting another campaign to cleanse the internet of harmful content. The campaign, dubbed “Cleaning the Web 2014,” is set to last until November and was ostensibly launched in response to the continued spread of online pornography, which has long been banned under Chinese law. However, critics expressed concern that the new effort was a pretense covering further restrictions on dissent and information of public interest. In fact, the campaign slogan, “sweep out porn, strike at rumors,” is redolent of the online rumor crackdown in 2013 that featured numerous arrests of bloggers who were outspoken on social issues (see above, CMB Nos. 92, 93). The official Xinhua news agency reported on April 20 that the authorities had shut down 110 websites, closed more than 3,300 social-media accounts, and deleted over 200,000 items for allegedly containing pornography since January. In a development that could be related to the new campaign, renowned online activist Bei Feng told the China Media Bulletin that his personal account on WeChat, a widely used social-media application, had been shut down on April 16. Although numerous public news-sharing accounts were closed in March (see CMB No. 102), this is the first known case of an activist’s personal account being shuttered on WeChat. A brief notice said the account had “seriously violated” WeChat policies. On April 14, Sina Reader, a popular online book portal, stated that it had temporarily shut down its service to investigate suspicious content posted by users that endangered a “clean online environment.” Over 20 literary websites have also been reportedly closed or investigated amid the antipornography drive.

* Shenzhen Economic Daily 4/15/2014: 新浪读书频道昨起暂时关闭 [Sina Reader temporarily shut down] 
* Reuters 4/21/2014: China steps up purge of online porn amid wider censorship push 
* Washington Post 4/17/2014: China launches campaign to purge internet of porn, rumors and, critics say, dissent 
* Quartz 4/15/2014: China’s latest crackdown on porn has little to do with porn 
* Tea Leaf Nation 4/16/2014: China’s new internet crackdown: Not about porn 

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Netizen sentenced to prison for ‘rumor mongering’ 

Microblogger Qin Zhihui, known online as Qin Huohuo, was sentenced on April 17 to three years in prison for spreading rumors between December 2012 and August 2013. Qin was arrested that August during a major “antirumor” crackdown (see above, CMB No. 93), and was the first arrestee to appear in court on rumor-mongering charges. He had allegedly defamed several celebrities, including popular television hostess Yang Lan, and the former minister of railways. At his trial, which began on April 11, Qin accepted the charges and said he regretted what he had done, thanking the authorities for giving him a chance to apologize. According to a leaked censorship directive, the State Council Information Office urged “all websites [to] increase control and clean up discussion of the ‘Qin Huohuo’ case.” The censorship directive prompted the International Federation of Journalists to issue a press release condemning the Chinese authorities for restricting people’s right to free speech in commenting on the trial. “It seems that the authorities are not confident that the people will have faith that it was a fair trial,” the press release said. Blogger and scholar Yang Hengjun, reacting to the trial, argued that such rumors only had currency because state-controlled media had lost credibility with the public. He noted that mainstream outlets and other powerful entities are not similarly punished for spreading false news.

* Financial Times 4/17/2014: Jailing of Chinese ‘rumour monger’ casts shadow over Weibo
* Xinhua 4/17/2014: Internet rumormonger gets 3-year jail term 
* Diplomat 4/19/2014: How to fight online rumors: Restore Chinese media’s credibility 
* IFJ 4/17/2014: IFJ condemns China’s internet regulators for restricting freedom of opinion 
* China Digital Times 4/11/2014: Minitrue: ‘Qin Huohuo’ trial 

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Newspaper reveals case of bribery to delete online content 

On April 16, Southern Weekly, a Guangzhou-based paper known for investigative reporting, revealed a corruption case involving the police and internet censors. According to a court document uncovered by the newspaper, Wei Yining, a former official with the internet division of the police bureau in Haikou, Hainan Province, was convicted in December and sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting over 700,000 yuan ($112,000) in bribes to delete postings made on websites based in his jurisdiction. It said that Wei had received more than 280 bribes from 11 police officers in six provinces. Instead of following regular protocol, under which police can only submit takedown notices to website administrators after they are formally approved by senior officials of the department’s internet division, Wei issued the orders directly to employees at KDNet and Tianya, two popular Chinese discussion forums based in Haikou. The article added that there were at least 50 human censors employed by Tianya, and a team of six people had to stand by 24 hours a day to remove postings within 10 minutes of receiving an official order. The Southern Weekly piece, which offered a glimpse at the mechanisms of China’s internet censorship, was briefly removed from the newspaper’s website before reappearing on several major web portals. It said the most “surprising” aspect of the case was the defense lawyer’s argument that Wei did not do anything to serve the private interests of others, as the postings he was paid to delete were all damaging to the government. However, private companies and individuals have been known to exploit the censorship apparatus for their own ends, often hiring intermediaries to arrange deletions. On March 26, Beijing News reported that the police in Beijing had detained at least 10 people since 2012 for using their positions to delete online content in exchange for money. The case involved corrupt collusion between a public-relations company, a police officer, and employees at the Chinese search-engine giant Baidu (see CMB No. 67). 

* Wall Street Journal 4/18/2014: Corruption case cracks door on China’s internet police
* Fei Chang Dao 4/10/2014: State media: Baidu staff and internet police profited by deleting negative information 
* Southern Weekly 4/17/2014: 网警贿赂网警:替领导删帖 [Internet police bribe each other for post deletion] 

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Sina Weibo’s U.S. IPO raises less than anticipated 

The Sina Weibo microblogging platform completed its listing on the New York Stock Exchange on April 16, but the initial public offering (IPO) raised less money from investors than expected (see CMB No. 102). The company sold 16.8 million shares, short of the 20 million it had hoped to sell, at $17 per share, the bottom of its $17–$19 price range. The offering overall valued Weibo at $3.8 billion, little more than half of what it had sought when it began the IPO process, and less than a seventh of the current market value of Twitter, the U.S.-based microblogging giant that remains banned in China. Analysts attributed the less-than-stellar performance to a broader selloff in internet shares that began earlier in April, and to investors’ concerns over competition from the rival Chinese firm Tencent and its WeChat social-media application. Weibo’s parent company, Sina, has seen its value fall nearly 20 percent since mid-March amid the larger investor retreat from the sector. Concerns over censorship did not appear to be a factor, though the Chinese government crackdown on social media that began last summer has contributed to a drop in Weibo usage, which could affect revenue and investor confidence. Separately, research by professor Fu King-wa and others at the University of Hong Kong has found that only about 5 percent of active Weibo users—about 10 million people out of 208 million—were responsible for nearly all of the original content posted on the platform as of January 2014. The remaining active users mostly retweeted others’ comments, while another large proportion of total Weibo accounts made no posts at all, indicating they may have been “zombie” accounts created only to follow other users and boost their ostensible popularity. Such findings raise questions about how Sina Weibo and other social-media companies define the number of users on their platforms, and whether fewer users are posting original content because they fear punishment under new judicial guidelines issued in September that enhanced the criminalization of online speech (see CMB No. 93).

* Bloomberg 4/17/2014: How big is Weibo’s censorship discount? 
* Financial Times 4/17/2014: China’s Weibo raises a less than planned $285m in US IPO 
* CNN 4/17/2014: Weibo Chairman on IPO: ‘We’re here for the long term’ 
* South China Morning Post 4/10/2014: Almost all Weibo messages are generated by just 5 percent of users 

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Lanzhou netizens complain of delay in official notice of water contamination 

Residents in the heavily industrialized Gansu Province city of Lanzhou rushed to buy bottled water on April 11 after the authorities released a statement warning them not to drink tap water (see CMB No. 83). According to the statement, the level of benzene, a carcinogen, in the public water supply was 20 times above the official safety level. The city’s water supply company, Lanzhou Veolia Water Co., is a joint venture of the Lanzhou government and Veolia China, a unit of the French firm Veolia Environment. The company told the official Xinhua news agency in an article released the same day that the contamination was likely caused by local chemical plants. Initial results of an investigation by local authorities indicated that two explosions in 1987 and 2002 at a factory owned by the China National Petroleum Corporation had released chemical residues into the soil, eventually polluting the city’s underground water resources. Many local residents took to popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo to complain about the government’s delay in alerting them. The spike in benzene levels was reportedly detected on April 10, though many residents had raised concerns about malodorous water in March, drawing accusations of “rumor mongering.” Images posted on Weibo after April 11 showed long queues in supermarkets. “It’s not just bottled water that is gone. Even all the beer and milk has been snatched up,” one user wrote.

* Global Voices 4/12/2014: Cancer-causing chemical pollutes Chinese city Lanzhou’s water supply 
* France 24 4/15/2014: Panic after Chinese city declares tap water toxic 
* China Digital Times 4/13/2014: Rush for bottled water after benzene scare 

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New Citizens Movement members sentenced, book and website launched 

A series of court rulings have reinforced the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on the New Citizens Movement, a grassroots campaign calling for the financial accountability of public officials, among other reforms. On April 11, the Beijing Supreme People’s Court upheld a lower court’s January verdict against prominent lawyer and blogger Xu Zhiyong, a cofounder of the movement, who received a four-year prison sentence for “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” (see CMB No. 99). A week later, on April 18, another court in Beijing handed down jail sentences to four members of the movement—also for “gathering a crowd to disturb public order”—after they organized a series of gatherings to demand disclosure of personal assets by government officials. Zhang Baocheng and Li Wei were given two years each, Zhao Changqing received two and a half years, and Ding Jiaxi was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Searches that combined the activists’ names with terms like “court” and “officials’ assets” were blocked on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo during the men’s trials. David Bandurski of Hong Kong University’s China Media Project reported that his April 11 reposting of a statement by Xu was removed within minutes, and that Weibo administrators had sent him a warning. Also on April 11, in a defiant move, supporters of the New Citizens Movement launched an official website, and the New Century Press, a Hong Kong–based publisher (see CMB No. 100), announced the release of an autobiography and political manifesto by Xu, entitled To Be a Citizen: My Free China.

* China Media Project 4/10/2014: New citizens’ website launches on eve of Xu Zhiyong verdict 
* Time 4/11/2014: Chinese court upholds anti-graft activist’s sentence, but ‘citizens’ vow to fight on 
* Guardian 4/18/2014: China jails four more New Citizens Movement activists 
* China Media Project 4/11/2014: ‘Your post is inappropriate’ 
* China Digital Times 4/9/2014: Sensitive words: Trials of New Citizens 

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BEYOND CHINA

Australian broadcaster to sign deal granting greater access to Chinese viewers

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has won approval from the Chinese government to make its content available in China via a web portal and broadcasts by Chinese partners. The ABC is expected to sign an agreement on May 4 with the state-owned Shanghai Media Group (SMG), the country’s second-largest media enterprise. The deal will allow ABC to establish a base in Shanghai and distribute a range of Australian media content throughout China. This would give ABC the most extensive access to Chinese audiences of any Western broadcaster. The only other such outlets with broadcast rights in China, BBC World Service and CNN International, are limited to certain international hotels and diplomatic compounds. Some types of content from foreign stations also reach Chinese viewers through limited local arrangements or Chinese video-streaming services (see CMB No. 101, 102). However, Qiao Mu, an associate professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said the ABC agreement is hardly a signal that Beijing is now more open to foreign media. All content broadcast or streamed in China is still subject to the government’s media regulations and censorship directives, and “programs that are regarded as sensitive will be censored,” he said.

* ABC 4/17/2014: ABC’s Australia Network signs China content deal 
* Sydney Morning Herald 4/16/2014: ABC becomes first Western broadcaster to go China-wide 
* South China Morning Post 4/17/2014: China grants Australian broadcaster ABC landmark media access 

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

Mandiant report says China’s online espionage has resumed after pause

On April 9, the internet security firm Mandiant released its annual report on cybersecurity threats. In addition to chapters on the Syrian Electronic Army and Iran-based hacking activity, the report has several sections focused on the threat from China-based actors. It emphasizes that despite the revelations of certain Chinese military units’ cyberespionage activities in early 2013 and some high-level diplomatic pressure in response (see CMB No. 81), the Chinese threat to a range of foreign government and private-sector entities remains unabated. Graphs included in the report illustrate a pause in activity for several months by two units (APT1 and APT12) that were exposed in early 2013 by Mandiant and the New York Times. But the report also finds that by July they had resumed their efforts and taken measures, such as changing internet protocol (IP) addresses, to avoid detection. “Despite the recent accusations and subsequent international attention, APT1 and APT12’s reactions indicate a PRC interest in both obscuring and continuing its data theft,” the report notes. “This suggests the PRC believes the benefits of its cyber-espionage campaigns outweigh the potential costs of an international backlash.”

* Mandiant 4/9/2014: M-Trends 2014: Beyond the Breach [access to the full report is provided without charge upon completion of a form at this link] 
* Washington Post 4/10/2014: The mysterious disappearance of China’s elite hacking unit 
* Info Security 4/15/2014: Mandiant: China-backed cyber threats show no signs of abatement

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 105: May 7, 2014


HIGHLIGHTS
* Journalist, lawyer, and others detained ahead of June 4 anniversary
* Ai Weiwei erased from Shanghai art show
* Sina threatened with loss of licenses amid antipornography campaign
* Popular U.S. TV shows pulled from Chinese streaming sites without explanation
* New Android mobile app relies on Amazon to bypass microblog censorship

OTHER HEADLINES
* State media, censors work to guide news on Urumqi explosion
* Tiananmen Square crackdown museum opens in Hong Kong
* Journalists’ group releases first Hong Kong press freedom index
* Chinese spies reportedly hacked Australian MPs’ e-mails for a year
* ‘China Digital Times’ to publish annotated collection of political cartoons
* Evan Osnos of ‘New Yorker’ writes on censorship demands of Chinese publishers
* Columbia’s Howard French probes Bloomberg retreat from China investigative reporting

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

Announcement: After a spring hiatus, the China Media Bulletin will resume on June 4 with Issue No. 106.

Printable Version

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BROADCAST / PRINT MEDIA NEWS

Journalist, lawyer, and others detained ahead of June 4 anniversary

The Chinese authorities have targeted activists and scholars in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the June 4, 1989, crackdown on prodemocracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Gao Yu, a prominent dissident journalist, went missing on April 23, a day after she told Australia’s Fairfax Media that she had been threatened by the police. Gao had been scheduled to attend a June 4–related gathering in Beijing on April 26 and a news conference in Hong Kong on May 3. On May 8, she appeared in police custody on China Central Television (CCTV), apparently confessing to leaking an unspecified secret document to a foreign website. Based on the timing, the document may have been an internal Communist Party circular on ideological controls that emerged in spring 2013 (see CMB No. 87). Separately, Pu Zhiqiang, an outspoken human rights lawyer whose clients include dissident artist and blogger Ai Weiwei, was summoned and detained by police on May 4, a day after he attended a seminar on the Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing. The police reportedly searched his home and confiscated his computer, phone, and books. At least seven other participants of the event were summoned by the police, including Beijing Film Academy professor Cui Weiping and writer Liu Di, both of whom are well known for their online commentaries. While public discussion of the 1989 events remains off-limits within China, a growing number of universities overseas have organized relevant conferences and courses. Nevertheless, Public Radio International reported on May 2 that many Chinese students studying in the United States avoid such opportunities or ask to remain anonymous for fear of retribution at home.

* IFEX 4/30/2014: Chinese dissident journalist disappears before Tiananmen anniversary event 
* South China Morning Post 5/8/2014: Beijing detains, parades journalist Gao Yu on state TV for ‘leaking state secrets’ 
* CHRD 5/6/2014: Chinese government must stop intimidating citizens seeking truth about June 4, 1989 
* China Digital Times 5/6/2014: Rights lawyer among several held after Tiananmen seminar 
* China Change 5/5/2014: Scholars and lawyer disappeared after June 4th seminar in Beijing 
* PRI 5/2/2014: Discussing Tiananmen Square is still risky after 25 years, even for Chinese students in the US 

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Ai Weiwei erased from Shanghai art show

The Shanghai government has ordered the removal of the name and works of dissident artist and blogger Ai Weiwei from an art exhibition entitled “15 Years Chinese Contemporary Art Award,” which consists of works by the award’s recipients. According to Uli Sigg, a Swiss art collector and former Swiss ambassador to China who helped establish the annual award in 1998, officials from the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture had told organizers just days before the April 26 opening that Ai’s art could not be displayed at the state-owned venue, the Power Station of Art. Ai won the award for lifetime contribution in 2008 and served on the jury for the first three terms. Shortly before the exhibition opened, workers also removed his name from a wall dedicated to the award’s past winners and jury members. It was not the first time Ai ran afoul of the Shanghai government, which in January 2011 had ordered the demolition of his studio in the city (see CMB No. 7). Separately, the artist has been engaged in a dispute with the production team of a short film, The Sandstorm (see CMB No. 103). The director, Jason Wishnow, had used Ai’s name and image in an online fundraising campaign for the movie in April, and Ai said he was upset that the team had used him to raise money despite his minor role. He also pointed out the irony in the two incidents. “I’ve been very involved in Chinese contemporary art.… And here my name is erased. On the other hand, you have a movie done by a Western person, that I was not so involved in, and they use my name like this. It’s funny when you put these things together.”

* New York Times 4/29/2014: Censors remove Ai Weiwei from Shanghai show, leaving Uli Sigg powerless 
* South China Morning Post 4/29/2014: Ai Weiwei locked in spat with director over crowdfunded sci-fi debut 

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NEW MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Sina threatened with loss of licenses amid antipornography campaign

In an unexpected development related to the Chinese government’s latest antipornography campaign (see CMB No. 104), regulators announced on April 24 that internet giant Sina Corporation could have two crucial licenses revoked due to lewd content posted on its site. The official news agency Xinhua reported that the National Office against Pornographic and Illegal Publications had found 20 articles and four videos on Sina.com that contained pornographic content, including some that had received millions of hits. As a result, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television decided to revoke its licenses for internet publication and audio/video dissemination and impose high fines. The decision did not take immediate effect, however, and according to one official cited by Xinhua, Sina would have a chance to appeal. The company quickly became the subject of embarrassing coverage on state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) and the front page of the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily. Sina responded later on April 24 by “offering the most sincere apology to all netizens and the public.” Shortly after Xinhua published news of the regulator’s decision, Sina’s stock dropped to a one-year low on the New York Stock Exchange, less than two weeks after its subsidiary microblogging service Sina Weibo held an initial public offering (see CMB No. 104). The move to punish Sina is unusual and sends a warning to other internet content providers to enhance their online monitoring and censorship systems, especially since Sina has one of the most robust such systems but is being punished harshly for its apparent neglect of only 24 pieces of content.

* Financial Times 4/25/2014: China threatens to withdraw Sina licences 
* Xinhua 4/24/2014: China’s Sina.com hit by ban after porn offense 
* Bloomberg 4/25/2014: Sina stock falls on anti-porn crackdown: China Overnight 
* The Sinocism China Newsletter 4/25/2014 

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Popular U.S. TV shows pulled from Chinese streaming sites without explanation

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) on April 25 ordered leading video-streaming sites, including Youku and Sohu, to remove four U.S. television shows from their services. The four programs—The Big Bang Theory, The Practice, The Good Wife, and NCIS—were all popular in China. The Big Bang Theory had reportedly scored more than a billon views by users in China before it was removed. The SAPPRFT did not provide any reason for its order. Some observers speculated that the authorities are concerned about such programs drawing viewers away from the national broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV). On April 27, the Beijing News reported that CCTV is planning to air The Big Bang Theory soon, but that the program will be dubbed in Chinese and any “excessive content” will be removed. On the same day, in an apparent attempt to defend and legitimize the regulator’s order, the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily ran an opinion article emphasizing that there can be no internet freedom without order. Meanwhile, disgruntled fans went online to express their anger at the decision, reportedly making it the most popular topic of the day. Many posted icons of candles to show their grief or indignation, while others shared a subtitled screenshot from a Big Bang Theory episode in which the character Sheldon Cooper says, “I like China. See, they know how to keep people in line.” The order came amid a broader government effort to exert tighter control over online content, including a new set of regulations for video-streaming services issued in March (see CMB No.102).

* Associated Press 4/27/2014: 4 US TV shows ordered off Chinese websites 
* South China Morning Post 4/27/2014: China’s video websites forced to adjust to tighter regulations 
* Reuters 4/28/2014: China party mouthpiece says no internet freedom without order, as U.S. TV shows pulled 
* People’s Daily 4/28/2014: 钟声：互联网治理，规范和标准是关键 [Zhong Sheng: Rules and standards are keys to internet management]
* China Digital Times 4/29/2014: State media defends ‘internet management’ as U.S. TV shows are kicked offline 
* New York Times 4/28/2014: Fans paint U.S. shows as friendly to the party 
* South China Morning Post 4/28/2014: Confusion as CCTV airs ‘Game of Thrones’ amid ban on other US shows 

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XINJIANG

State media, censors work to guide news on Urumqi explosion

On April 30, the official Xinhua news agency reported that a deadly explosion had occurred at the largest train station in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi. The explosion took place shortly after President Xi Jinping concluded his first official trip to the region, during which he called for a crackdown on terrorism. According to Xinhua, two assailants and one bystander were killed, and 79 people were injured. The apparent suicide bombing followed another alleged terrorist attack at the Kunming train station in March, in which at least 29 people were stabbed to death (see CMB No. 101). As with past incidents of violence in Xinjiang, the authorities exerted tight control over news coverage of the Urumqi bombing. Xinhua and the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily broke the news, and Xinhua also translated its report into English and posted it on its website. However, censors then deleted the Chinese version of the reports by both outlets, as well as any reposts or mentions on other websites, indicating that the authorities had not yet decided on how to best frame the story. Oddly, the English version was left online, leading other outlets to cite it. The search term “Xi + explosion” was reportedly blocked on the Sina Weibo microblogging service as of May 1. A leaked May 3 censorship directive instructed media outlets not to cite the early English-language Xinhua story, to wait for authorized Chinese-language wire copy, and to focus any commentary on “reverence for casualties and those injured; condemnation of violent behavior; the conscientious maintenance of ethnic cooperation and social stability.” On May 5, the Communist Party–owned Global Timesidentified one of the alleged bombers as Sedirdin Sawut, a 39-year-old Uighur man from a county south of Urumqi. Calling the attack the work of a “crime family deeply influenced by extremist ideology,” the paper stated that the authorities had put out an alert for the arrest of 10 of Sawut’s family members.

* Los Angeles Times 5/5/2014: Chinese police ID Uighur man as suspect in Urumqi bombing 
* Diplomat 5/2/2014: Chinese media and the Urumqi bombing: Censorship in action 
* China Digital Times 5/1/2014: 3 dead and 79 injured in Urumqi explosion (updated) 
* China Digital Times 4/25/2014: Sensitive words: explosion, witch hunts, Lin Zhao 
* China Digital Times 5/4/2014: Minitrue: Condemn violence, stress ethnic cooperation 
* China Digital Times 5/1/2014: Minitrue: Attack on Xinjiang train station 

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HONG KONG

Tiananmen Square crackdown museum opens

The June 4 Memorial Museum, the world’s first museum dedicated to documenting the 1989 prodemocracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and the crackdown that ended them, opened in Hong Kong on April 26. Hong Kong is the only Chinese city where commemorative activities for the brutal crackdown are tolerated by the Chinese authorities. The museum was sponsored by the Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, a local rights group that also organizes the territory’s annual June 4 vigil, attracting tens of thousands of participants every year. The museum’s opening ceremony was interrupted by more than a dozen pro-Beijing protesters who called themselves the “6.4 Truth Group.” They held photographs of police officers who were allegedly injured in Tiananmen Square during the crackdown, and accused the museum of presenting a skewed account of the incident (see CMB Nos. 17, 73). In addition, according to the South China Morning Post, property owners in the building where the museum is located recently submitted a writ asking a court to bar the alliance from using the fifth-floor space—which it had bought for more than HK$9.7 million (US$1.3 million)—for exhibition purposes. Despite the opposition, the museum attracted many Chinese visitors. The souvenir shop reportedly sells USB sticks with historical documents about the crackdown, enabling mainland tourists to sneak them through customs when they return home.

* Agence France-Presse 4/27/2014: World’s first Tiananmen museum opens in Hong Kong 
* South China Morning Post 4/29/2014: Property owners seek injunction to block June 4 memorial museum
* Al-Jazeera 4/28/2014: Tiananmen museum revives ghosts of a massacre 

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Journalists’ group releases first Hong Kong press freedom index

On April 23, the University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme released the first Hong Kong Press Freedom Index, a project commissioned by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). The index is based on survey respondents’ answers to 10 questions on press freedom issues, such as legal protection for journalists’ work and obstacles to their duties. Participants consisted of 422 journalists, interviewed from December 2013 to February 2014, and 1,018 members of the public, interviewed in late December. The results indicated that compared with ordinary citizens, media professionals held a more pessimistic view of the situation, giving worse scores on topics like self-censorship and editorial pressure. When asked to rate their satisfaction with press freedom in Hong Kong on a scale of 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied), journalists gave a 4.8, while the general public gave a 6.3. In terms of the Hong Kong government’s performance in releasing information, media professionals also produced a lower score on average (3.7) than the public (5.0). Scholars involved in the research noted that the data were collected before two February events—a brutal attack on Ming Pao newspaper’s former chief editor, Kevin Lau Chun-to, and the abrupt dismissal of Commercial Radio host Li Wei-ling—that might otherwise have resulted in much lower ratings (see CMB Nos. 100, 101). In a column published by the South China Morning Post on May 1, political commentator Albert Cheng cited a recent example of self-censorship and pressure on the media from Beijing. He described how two senior Chinese officials had invited a delegation of Hong Kong editors and media executives to Beijing in late April, conspicuously excluding representatives from the liberal Apple Daily, the Oriental Daily News, and the HKJA. None of the participants addressed press freedom issues at the meeting. Instead, the media delegation was told to report on the benefits of Chinese rule and discourage a growing movement for universal suffrage in the territory.

* IFEX 5/5/2014: First Hong Kong press freedom index announced 
* South China Morning Post 4/23/2014: Self-censorship ‘common’ in Hong Kong newspapers, say journalists 
* South China Morning Post 5/2/2014: Hong Kong’s media bosses acting more like lapdogs than watchdogs
* HKU Public Opinion Programme 4/22/2014: 新聞自由指數調查 [Hong Kong Press Freedom Index] 

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BEYOND CHINA

Chinese spies reportedly hacked Australian MPs’ e-mails for a year

According to a report by the Australian Financial Review on April 28, the Chinese intelligence agencies that penetrated Australia’s parliamentary computer network in 2011 may have gained access to lawmakers’ documents and e-mails for an entire year. The newspaper, citing multiple unnamed sources, said the breach was more extensive than previously thought, with new information showing that Chinese agencies had obtained system administrator access to the network, which “effectively gave them control” of the entire system. Observers said the Chinese authorities could have used such access to acquire a sophisticated understanding of the political and social links of the Australian leadership, as well as sensitive conversations or embarrassing gossip about the country’s senior officials. Vulnerability testing conducted in 2010 reportedly found that the parliamentary computer network had very weak security. A member of the Australian cabinet said politicians from both governing and opposition parties were shocked and angry about the breach, and dissatisfied with the vulnerability of the network. 

* Financial Review 4/28/20124: Chinese spies may have read all MPs’ emails for a year 
* Reuters 4/28/2014: Chinese spies read Australian MPs’ emails for a year—report 

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New Android mobile app relies on Amazon to bypass microblog censorship

The team of circumvention-software developers who founded the freedom of expression group GreatFire.org has launched an application for mobile devices that provides access to content that has been censored on the Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo. The group had created a FreeWeibo website in 2012, but it was quickly blocked in China. In 2013, GreatFire developed a mobile app version for Apple’s iOS operating system, but the U.S. technology giant removed it from its Chinese online store in December on the grounds that it violated local laws (see CMB No. 98). The latest app is designed for Google’s Android operating system. Android has by far the most users in China, almost 300 million, and its applications are accessed through a variety of third-party app stores, rather than a single official outlet, as with Apple. Most importantly, the new app employs a strategy called “collateral freedom,” which should make it very difficult for Chinese censors to block. FreeWeibo will be hosted on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3, which encrypts all of its data, making it impossible for Chinese censors to discern the content users are accessing. And the censors cannot block a selected service without blocking the entire platform, which the Chinese government would be unlikely to do, as thousands of businesses rely on Amazon’s cloud services in China. In a demonstration of the “collateral freedom” concept, Beijing was forced to abandon its attempt to block the popular coding site GitHub in early 2013, after facing a huge backlash from Chinese software developers. According to the FreeWeibo developers, the new app has been downloaded more than 2,000 times since it was released in mid-April without publicity. They are confident that it will survive and reach many more users, so long as Amazon does not bend to Chinese government pressure and remove the app from its hosting service. Experts are not ruling out that possibility, however, since Amazon is seeking to expand its business in China, where it launched a localized version of AWS in December.

* Mashable 4/28/2014: Can an Android app defeat China’s internet censors? 
* Register 4/29/2014: Great-firewall-busting microblog app puts AWS in China’s firing line

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NOTABLE ANALYSIS

‘China Digital Times’ to publish annotated collection of political cartoons 

On May 12, the California-based China Digital Times will release an e-book of drawings by a popular Chinese political cartoonist. The compilation, titled Crazy Crab’s Chinese Dream: Political Cartoons 2012–2013, is based on a series of cartoons created for the China Digital Times by an anonymous Chinese artist—under the pen name Crazy Crab—and distributed online in China. The e-book contains a short interview with the cartoonist and five chapters of drawings that take inspiration from literary references (especially fairy tales and George Orwell) as well as current events (like the purge of former Chongqing Communist Party chief Bo Xilai and self-immolations in Tibet). Each cartoon is accompanied by a brief explanation in English, and in many cases the characters’ dialogue has been translated into English. The collection offers non-Chinese speakers a unique opportunity to share in the sort of subtle, humorous exchanges that thrive among Chinese netizens and irk government censors.

* Beginning on May 12, the e-book will be available for sale. The proceeds will go to the artist and the nonprofit China Digital Times
* A selection of Crazy Crab’s cartoons is also available on the China Digital Times website 

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Evan Osnos of ‘New Yorker’ writes on censorship demands of Chinese publishers 

In an opinion piece published on May 2 by the New York Times, journalist and former China correspondent Evan Osnos of the New Yorker magazine describes his encounters with censors at various Chinese publishers as he explored the possibility of publishing a translation in China of his upcoming book, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China. After being repeatedly told that whole chapters—such as one focused on blind activist Chen Guangcheng—would need to be cut, or that “to allow the publication in China, the author will agree to revise nearly 1/4 of the contents,” Osnos decided not to publish the book in China. (A Chinese-language version will be published in Taiwan, and at least some copies will inevitably make their way to the mainland.) The article explores the dilemmas and considerations facing foreign authors as they weigh the costs and benefits of publishing censored translations in China or not publishing there at all (see CMB No. 95). 

* New York Times 5/2/2014: China’s censored world

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Columbia’s Howard French probes Bloomberg retreat from China investigative reporting

Columbia University professor and former China correspondent Howard French, writing in the Columbia Journalism Review, provides the most in-depth exploration to date of a series of events that led executives at Bloomberg News to take a step back from investigative reporting on the wealth of the Chinese political elite (see CMB No. 102). Among other contributions, the feature article draws on several inside sources, highlights the innovative journalistic methods used to produce a pivotal story on Chinese president Xi Jinping’s family wealth, considers the role of competition among news outlets in producing strong reporting, and reveals that additional staff resigned from Bloomberg after the clash between the business and news sides of the company.

* Columbia Journalism Review 5/1/2014: Bloomberg’s folly

CHINA MEDIA BULLETIN
Freedom House’s biweekly update of press freedom and censorship news related to the People’s Republic of China

Issue No. 106: June 3, 2014
SPECIAL SECTION: TIANANMEN SQUARE CRACKDOWN ANNIVERSARY
* Security clampdown in Beijing, march and mass vigil in Hong Kong
* Detentions expand in scope and severity ahead of June 4
* Censors target June 4 social-media mentions, search results
* Foreign web services face more intense blocking
* U.S. House resolution urges end of Tiananmen censorship
* Notable Analysis: The People’s Republic of Amnesia

OTHER HEADLINES
* CCTV executives investigated for corruption
* Tencent fires outspoken blogger after meeting with John Kerry
* Authorities announce campaign to censor WeChat, other messaging apps
* Jailed Uighur scholar’s family loses income, over 200 arrested for online videos
* Tibetan monk goes into exile after assisting jailed filmmaker
* U.S. indicts Chinese officers for hacking, Beijing phasing out U.S. computer firms

Printable Version

The China Media Bulletin needs your support to ensure its future and improve its online database. Please donate here and enter “China Media Bulletin” as the designation code.

Announcement: As members of the editorial team disperse for travel and other opportunities, the CMB will be going on an extended summer hiatus. We wish our readers and donors all the best for the coming months, and hope to resume publication in the fall with Issue No. 107. In the meantime, stay tuned for China-related blogs and special reports from Freedom House.

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SPECIAL SECTION: TIANANMEN SQUARE CRACKDOWN ANNIVERSARY

Security clampdown in Beijing, march and mass vigil in Hong Kong

Authorities in Beijing intensified the city’s already tight security ahead of the 25th anniversary of the June 4, 1989, military crackdown on student-led prodemocracy protests in Tiananmen Square (see CMB No. 105). State-run media reported on May 30 that hundreds of thousands of security personnel had been deployed in the capital. Security posts were set up at 192 major intersections encircling the city, and some 850,000 volunteers conducted daily patrols to report any suspicious activities. Passengers on public transportation were subject to inspections equivalent to the level of airport security checks. The authorities announced that there was no upper budget limit for the operation to prevent a repeat of the mass protests in 1989, apparently wary of growing public dissatisfaction with official corruption, rights abuses, and environmental degradation. Renowned online activist Bei Feng reported that to prevent foreign students from participating in events commemorating the June 4 crackdown, the University of Political Science and Law in Beijing sent out a notice on May 29 requiring all foreign students to attend a “free study tour” to Inner Mongolia or the Beijing suburbs on June 3–4. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, where commemorations of the 1989 crackdown are still allowed despite growing restrictions on the territory’s traditional freedom of expression, about 3,000 marchers braved the hottest day of the year on June 1 to call for an official vindication of the 1989 prodemocracy movement. Lee Cheuk-yan, the organizer of the march, said he was “very satisfied” with the turnout, which had reportedly doubled in size compared with 2013. The march was to be followed by the main memorial event, a candlelight vigil on June 4, which was expected to draw at least 150,000 people to Hong Kong’s Victoria Park.

* Radio Free Asia 5/30/2014: Party spies, security checkpoints cover Beijing ahead of anniversary 
* University of Political Science and Law 5/29/2014: Notice on organizing all foreign students to attend a free study tour 
* South China Morning Post 6/2/2014: Thousands of Hongkongers march in memory of June 4 on hottest day of year 

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Detentions expand in scope and severity ahead of June 4