· May, 2013

Stories about Chinese from May, 2013

Taiwan Copyright Bill Worse Than SOPA

  31 May 2013

It said the U.S Stop Online Piracy Act demands IP blocking requests to be determined in court while the Taiwan copyrights amendement filter list will be managed by a government administrative body.

Shock Over Chinese Teen's Graffiti in Egypt

  28 May 2013

Chinese netizen “Kongyou Wuyi” who took a trip to Egypt recently, posted on his Weibo a picture of a fraction of a wall at Egypt’s Luxor Temple. On the wall, there goes “Ding Jinhao was here.” (Check the picture below) The post soon went viral. Many Chinese netizens felt shocked and...

Chinese Social Web Defends US Vice President Biden

  26 May 2013

United States Vice President Joe Biden has faced a firestorm of criticism from Chinese international students after he referred to China as a nation that cannot "think different" or "breathe freely" during his commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania. But mainland Chinese Web users have hit back, reproaching the students abroad for their behavior and defending Biden's speech as worthy of reflection.

How Social Commerce Tightens China's Grip on the Internet

  22 May 2013

A deal between e-commerce firm Alibaba Group and Sina Weibo, China's most popular microblogging service, has been heralded as a jump-start to the era of social commerce in China. But it could also enable the authoritarian state to tighten its grip on the Internet.

Cadmium-Laced Rice Found in China

  22 May 2013

Rice contaminated with high levels of the toxic heavy metal cadmium, dubbed "cadmium rice," is the latest food scandal in China to trigger public panic and anger among the country's consumers.

Why Is China's Post-80’s Generation Dispirited?

  19 May 2013

China's state-run People’s Daily ran a piece titled “The Post-80′s Generation is Dispirited: Early Decline Cause for Alarm[zh],” arguing that China’s youth born after 1980 face “spiritual confusion and a loss of identity” despite better material living conditions. In response, social media celebrity and social critic “Zuoyeben“[zh] wrote an essay on the real cause...

Chinese Government Bans Seven ‘Speak-Not’ Subjects

  16 May 2013

A prominent Chinese law professor recently revealed in his microblog on popular Twitter-like site Sina Weibo that the Chinese government has imposed a policy on university professors instructing them not to teach seven subjects, including freedom of the press, past mistakes of the communist party, and human rights.

WeiboSuite: New Tool to Analyze Sina Weibo

  14 May 2013

WeiboSuite is a new toolbox for journalists and netizens. Created by data journalists from the University of Hong Kong, WeiboSuite provides English translations of censored materials on Weibo and tools to translate textual images.  

Chinese Web Floods White House with Petitions

  14 May 2013

An unsolved case of poisoning of a 19-year college student in 1994 has resurfaced in the Chinese social media sphere. It has not only grabbed the wide attention of Chinese netizens, but also triggered a wave of petitions to the White House.

Popular Chinese Writer's Microblog Scrubbed from Sina Weibo

  13 May 2013

The online Sina Weibo microblogging account of Murong Xuecun, one of China's most popular writers and one of the country's foremost critics of censorship, has been deleted from the site, suspected to be part of the government's efforts to crack down on online rumors by targeting high-profile users.

Chinese Director's Reported Seven Children Shocks Public

  11 May 2013

China's one-child policy is once again under scrutiny after mainland media revealed that famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou might have fathered seven children. Frustrated netizens thronged to social media, seizing upon the case as yet another example that privilege is what it takes for one in China to flout laws and regulations.

About our Chinese coverage

Oiwan Lam
Oi wan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.