Hu Xijin (胡锡进), former editor of the state-sponsored media outlet "Global Times," is no stranger to censorship. Here are some examples of his own editorials and articles being censored:
- Global Times Deletes Own Article About June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Incident
- Global Times Deletes Chinese (But Not English) Language Article About Great Firewall
Hu also has experience with self-censorship, as evidenced by the time he acknowledged he had to delete a series of Weibo posts he made contending that without those such as Liu, Ai, & Pu, China would be North Korea ("没有刘、艾、浦等，中国就是朝鲜。").
And Hu has been clear that he thinks there is such a thing as "Western" free speech, and that its not right for China:
Some people argue that it is acceptable in the Western world that people can launch verbal attacks on their government and even their presidents, so why is this not allowed in China? The argument seems ostensibly reasonable, but the same activities are usually regarded differently in two divergent political and legal systems.
See: State Media: "Western Speech Freedom Not Fit for China"
On April 23, 2022, Hu posted a Weibo with his perspective on Internet censorship following the censorship of a video entitled "Voices of April" that had been posted the day before. See: Covid-19 Series - Censorship of the "Voices of April."
Below is full translation of Hu's Weibo post.
After being locked down for a long time, Shanghai people have some grievances, and need channels to release them. People in other parts of the country are somewhat anxious, and have the same need for release. People express themselves on the Internet, and there's nothing odd about that.Original URL: https://weibo.com/1989660417/LpHknfsfj
The fact that network administrators delete posts does not mean that local governments do not take opinions seriously. On the contrary, expressing opinions on China's Internet is far more effective than complaining in Western countries. The reality in China is often like this: As the post is deleted, the government pays attention to the content and sentiment of the post, and efforts to improve will follow. The situation in the West is that when you express dissatisfaction, you can often say whatever you want, but basically no one listens to you, so speaking is pointless.
The Internet was invented by the West, and it was tailored to their system. When it entered China, it needed to be "sinicized" to a certain extent to address the realities here. China must have network management, otherwise the Internet will politically "transform" China. It is necessary that some posts be deleted. At the same time, various measures should be proportionate, and the deletion of posts should not be polarized. Network management should not only maintain social order, but also leave due space for people to express their opinions.
To tell the truth, this is a very difficult process of exploration. It is necessary and desirable, the intent is good, and the implementation can lead to all kinds of encounters. I believe shortcomings are normal, and the goal should be to do the best one can.
There will be some friction, and even conflict, in such a process, which I don't think is really worth making a fuss about. Our society needs to be resilient to these frictions and situations. Friction in governance needs to be desensitized. Is it possible for such a big country to be too calm and too regulated? We need to adapt politically to "there is no problem here, but there is a problem there," and constantly maintain dynamic stability and balance.
In my opinion, the enormous scale of Chinese society is what gives it a particular stability. No matter how raucous something may be at a given time, it is likely to be quickly consigned and replaced by something new. Don't be afraid that there are many problems, some we can solve, and some we can't, but as the tide rises, they sink and their harm recedes. Whether its the government or the public, the whole of society should have confidence in China's resilience.
封控久了，上海人有一些怨气，需要有释放的渠道。全国其他地方的人们也有焦虑，同样需要释放出来。大家在互联网上做表达，这真的不奇怪。
网络管理者删帖，不意味着各地政府不重视意见。恰恰相反，在中国互联网上表达意见，比在西方国家抱怨管用得多。中国的实情经常是这样的：一边删帖，政府一边关注帖子的内容和传递的情绪，改进的努力会随之而来。西方的情况则是，表达不满往往可以随便说，但基本没人听，说了也白说。
互联网是西方发明的，与他们的制度是量体裁衣关系，进入中国，它需要在一定程度上“中国化”，与我们这里的现实对接。中国的网络管理必须有，否则互联网就会在政治上“改造”中国。一些删帖也是必要的。同时，各种措施都应有度，删帖不能极化，网络管理既要维护社会秩序，也要给民众表达意见留下应有空间。
讲真这是个挺不容易的摸索过程，既要又要，愿望好，实现起来什么情况都可能遇到。有不足我相信是常态，尽量做好应是目标。
在这样的过程中出现一些摩擦，甚至冲突，我觉得真不值得大惊小怪。我们的社会需要有对这些摩擦以及各种情况的承受力。治理中的摩擦需要脱敏，这么大的国家，太平静太规则怎么可能？我们需要从政治上适应“这儿不出问题那出问题”，不断维护动态的稳定与平衡。
我认为，中国社会的超大规模就是特殊的稳定器。什么事不管当时多么轰轰烈烈，但很可能很快翻篇，被新的热点替代。不怕问题多，有些我们能解决，还有些解决不了，但因水涨船高它们下沉而减少危害。不分官员民众，全社会都应当对中国的韧性有信心。
Archived: https://archive.ph/d9umJ
Below are translations of the top five comments on Hu's post.
Let the people speak, the sky won't fall [38,000 likes]
Let the people of Shanghai speak! Don't block their messages pleading for help! [12,000 likes]
This is a purely rational statement, but in this world, people still have emotions, psychological construction and support, and even in some extreme moments, the power of sensibility will be greater than that of reason. The inner support has collapsed, and it is useless to say anything rational. [9,309 likes]
[Thumbs Up][Thumbs Up][Thumbs Up]"The reality in China is often like this: As the post is deleted, the government pays attention to the content and sentiment of the post, and efforts to improve will follow. The situation in the West is that when you express dissatisfaction, you can often say whatever you want, but basically no one listens to you, so speaking is pointless." [3,401 likes]
I really feel more and more that this society is too divided. Two extremes are colliding and fighting every day, the extreme left and the extreme right. Where is the future? [2,411 likes]
让人说话，天塌不下来
让上海人说话！不要封闭他们的求助信息！
这是纯理性的说法，可是人活在这个世界上，还有情感、心理建构和依托，甚至在一些极端时刻，感性的力量会大于理性。内心的依托塌了，说什么理性的话都没用
[赞][赞][赞]“中国的实情经常是这样的：一边删帖，政府一边关注帖子的内容和传递的情绪，改进的努力会随之而来。西方的情况则是，表达不满往往可以随便说，但基本没人听，说了也白说。”
真的越来越觉得这个社会太分裂了，两种极端天天在碰撞打架，极左和极右，未来在哪？
