Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, March 08, 2016

You can't say that here

If you can't say something supportive of President Xi's policies, don't say anything.

China Deletes Microblog of Critic of President Xi Jinping

The microblog account of an outspoken property tycoon and critic of President Xi Jinping, which had nearly 38 million followers, was deleted by China’s Internet control bureau…

Ren Zhiqiang

Mr. Ren Zhiqiang, a member of the Communist Party, had recently posted statements questioning a new policy on news media control announced by Mr. Xi… The president visited the three main party and state media organizations that day and said that all Chinese news media had to serve the party. No Chinese leader since Mao Zedong had suggested so explicitly that spreading official propaganda should be the media’s top priority.

Mr. Ren said in his posts that the news media should serve the people, not the party. Those posts were quickly deleted…

Mr. Ren has long had a reputation for posting controversial messages online…

The Internet control bureau, the Cyberspace Administration of China… said, “Internet users have reported that Ren Zhiqiang’s account had been continuously publishing illegal information, and the impact was vile.” It added that “Internet celebrities” and influential microblog personalities, known as Big Vs, “must correctly use their influence, exemplify obedience to laws and regulations, shoulder social responsibility and actively spread positive energy.”…

The authorities have clamped down on Internet speech in other ways. In 2013, the nation’s top legal authorities said the criminal charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” could be applied to online writings.

Officials have also charged more Internet users with “spreading rumors,”…

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