Latest posts by Abby Liu from May, 2013
Shock Over Chinese Teen's Graffiti in Egypt
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
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.
Cadmium-Laced Rice Found in China
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?
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...
China's Kunming Residents Stage Another Chemical Plant Protest
Hundreds of Kunming residents gathered outside city government buildings on May 16, 2013 to protest against plans for a chemical refinery near the southern Chinese city, the second major demonstration against the project after a protest on May 4.
Chinese Officials Attempt to Stem Protests
After Kunming's Anti-PX protest on May 4, 2013, local government has tried to stop further protests by sending text messages, “visiting” protest organizers, and censoring information online. East by Southeast has more details.
WeiboSuite: New Tool to Analyze Sina Weibo
WeiboSuite is a new toolbox for journalists and netizens. Created by data journalists from the University of Hong Kong, WeiboSuite provides English translations of censored materials on Weibo and tools to translate textual images.
Popular Chinese Writer's Microblog Scrubbed from Sina Weibo
The online Sina Weibo microblogging account of Murong Xuecun, one of China's most popular writers and one of the country's foremost critics of censorship, has been deleted from the site, suspected to be part of the government's efforts to crack down on online rumors by targeting high-profile users.
Obama, Minister of Chinese Petitions?
The White House petition for the Zhu Ling case has received 137,676 signatures by May 8, 2013. Some web users have made light of the fact that Chinese have turned to an American petition site seeking justice. The following image shared on Sina Weibo is Obama in the Oval Office, which has...
Rat Meat Sold as Lamb in China
Chinese police have caught a gang of traders who bought rat and fox meat and sold it as lamb. When the scandal was featured in Chinese newspapers and websites, it caused outrage among consumers who have been hit by a series of food scandals in recent years. TeaLeafNation has translated[zh] some online...
China Censors Chemical Plant Protest
Residents of China’s southwestern Kunming city took to the streets on May 4, 2013 to protest against the potential production of a toxic chemical at a nearby factory. China's state media kept the news of the protest quiet, and online censors aggressively deleted information and photos about the demonstration on social media.
China's Unfair Pension System
The Economic Observer[zh] ran a piece on China's dual-track pension system, which reveals the huge inequality between migrant workers and civil servants. ChinaSmack has translated the Chinese article as well as some online comments.
China: Unsolved Poisoning Case in Spotlight
Due to the recent poisoning case at Shanghai's Fudan University, Chinese netizens have taken renewed interest in another well-known university poisoning from 20 years ago. In 1994, Tsinghua University chemistry student Zhu Ling was nearly killed and permanently paralyzed due to thallium poisoning. Although cleared from charges, her roommate Sun...
Shanghai is China's Number One Cancer City
The cancer rate in Shanghai is 25 percent higher than the national average, over 80 people die from the disease every day, according to the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The pollution, food and water crisis are likely to be the cause of the increased cancer rates. Shanghaiist...
Top 10 Coolest Novels about Modern China
Peter from China Whisper recommends 10 coolest novels about modern China.
Chinese Academic Snubbed at Home, Lauded in the U.S.
An outspoken Chinese scientist who was passed over two years ago by China's Academy of Sciences has been scooped up by the United States National Academy of Sciences as a non-voting member, prompting netizens to take a harsh look at the priorities of China's academic world
Science Fiction in China
Alec Ash from LARB talks with Chinese science fiction writer Fei Dao about science fiction in China.
