Abby Liu · December, 2012

Latest posts by Abby Liu from December, 2012

What Lies Ahead for China in 2013?

  28 December 2012

As the end of 2012 draws near, CHINA DIGITAL TIMES has summarized the changes and challenges facing China in 2013 based on different media reports and predictions.

The Personal Lives of China’s New Leaders

  27 December 2012

Xinhua News has published[zh] a series of personal profiles of China's top leaders, including photos of their families, which was rare in Chinese media. The move was seen by many as another indication that China’s new leadership may have a different management style from their predecessors. Offbeat China has more...

China Considers Real Name Registration for All Internet Users

  26 December 2012

Following the call for more internet supervision by state-run People’s Daily newspaper last week, Xinhua news reported on December 24, 2012 that the Chinese government is considering a new law requiring real-name registration for its 500 million internet users.

What Did Chinese Web Users Search for in 2012?

  25 December 2012

Baidu, the leading search engine in China, has compiled two Top 10 lists —the most-searched terms online in 2012, and the “fastest rising” words or phrases. TeaLeafNation has a detailed analysis on what the lists mean.

China’s hottest “styles” of 2012

  25 December 2012

Because of the Korean pop hit “Gangnam Style”, the English word “style” has been popularized in China in 2012. On Dec 24,a local newspaper published a special round-up of the hottest “styles” on Chinese social media in 2012. The feature includes six categories: “Funny (幽默) Style”, “Strong (实力) Style”, “Emotional (感情) Style”, “Surprising (惊诧)...

Are Dynastic Politics Making a Comeback in East Asia?

  24 December 2012

First, Kin Jong-un took over North Korea after the death of his father. Then, Xi Jinping, the son of a communist politician veteran Xi Zhongxun, was announced the new leader of China. Last week, Park Guen-hye, daughter of South Korea’s longest-ruling dictator Park Chuang-Hee, was elected the new president.Chinese netizens...

China's Environment in 2012

  23 December 2012

From mass protests to trade wars, shale-gas drilling to hazardous cosmetics, chinadialogue has reviewed China's major environmental events in the past 12 months.

How the Chinese Government Uses Social Media in China

  23 December 2012

DANWEI has reported about the statistics and new trends in government use of social media in China based on The 2012 Sina Government Weibo Report[zh]. The report describes what types of government organizations are using Weibo accounts, ranks the most popular ones, and forecasts new trends for 2013.

China Cautioned: “The Internet is Not Outside the Law”

  21 December 2012

On December 18, 2012 China's government backed People's Daily published an article on the front page titled “The Internet is Not Outside the Law”. Most netizens feel disappointed by the cautious note and are worried that there will be more censorship online in the future.

China:10 Best Weibo Stories of 2012

  19 December 2012

The Chinese internet is a fascinating place. Stories break online everyday. Despite the strong censorship, Chinese internet users are able to keep their sense of humor(and the censors at bay) by creating different buzzwords and memes. As the year comes to an end, TeaLeafNation has collected the 10 most funny and...

People's Daily: The Internet is Not Outside the Law

  18 December 2012

On Dec 18, China's state media, People's Daily published a piece titled “The Internet is Not Outside the Law,” which serves as a reminder of government control over internet and social media in China. China Media Project translated the whole piece.

Infographic: Ten Ways of Torture in China's Black Jail

  18 December 2012

Tencent News recently published an infographic introducing how prisoners have been tortured in the black jail in Chongqing, China. The black jail was set up by Bo Xilai and the controversial infographic triggered many comments from netizens. Offbeat China provides more details with the translation of the inforgraphic.  

China's Media Mute on Local School Tragedy

  17 December 2012

On Dec 14, 2012, 20 children were killed in a gun shooting in Connecticut, US. The sad news was immediately all over China’s CCTV and made the headlines of major newspapers in China. On the same day, another school tragedy took place in central China: a man stabbed and injured 22 children. However, there was not a single mention of the domestic tragedy in Chinese mainstream media. The only news was through Weibo, China’s twitter.

The Richest Village in the World?

  14 December 2012

Huaxi village in China's eastern Jiangsu province is claimed to be “the richest village in the world.” Wade Shepard, an Ethnographic Journalist documents his unique experience in the village on his travel blog VagabondJourney.com.

China's ‘Luxury Disease’ Extends to Lavish Government Buildings

  13 December 2012

Lavish government buildings is nothing new in China, however, nothing can be compared to the new government building in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong Province. According to media reports , the "Long Ao building", cost 4 billion RMB (US$640 million), and is the second largest individual structure in the world, second only to the Pentagon in size.

Chinese-American Children Left Behind in China

  12 December 2012

Left-behind children is a term to describe a special group of children who are left in rural areas while their parents work as migrant workers in big cities in China. However, in Fujian province in Southern China, there are about 10,000 left-behind foreign children whose parents are illegal immigrants to other...

Analysis on Water and Enviromental Bloggers in China

  12 December 2012

China has serious water shortage problems due to the population and landscape. How many Chinese are talking about this issue on the internet? Check out this interesting analysis on water and environmental bloggers on Twitter and Weibo (China's Twitter) by ChinaWaterRisk.

China's Weibo Guru Kai-fu Lee Talks About Higher Education Issues

  11 December 2012

Prominent figure in Chinese internet sector Kai-Fu Lee pointed out the problems in China's higher education. He tweeted on Dec 10[zh], translation here: China doesn't need so many universities. In order to meet the high expectations of parents, schools have expanded the enrollment. Many private universities have developed too fast...

China: Fake RMB Donations Triggers Online Debate

  11 December 2012

On December 8, foreign consulates in Guangzhou, Southern China held a Christmas charity bazaar to raise funds for disabled children. The event raised 330,000 RMB (about US$53,000), but the Belgian consulate found out that  5,000 RMB turned out to be fake currency. The news led to a heated discussion online. TeaLeafNation...