Fei Chang Dao

On August 4, 2014, the Changbaishan Daily (长白山日报) published an article on its front page entitled "Municipal Party Committee Convenes Expanded Standing Committee Meeting" (市委召开常委扩大会议). These screenshots show that by August 7 the article, and indeed the entire front page, had been removed from the website. Original URL:  http://szb.cbsrb.com/shtml/cbsrb/20140804/ Some excerpts: On the morning of August 1, municipal Party Secretary Li Wei chaired an expanded meeting of the Standing Committee to study and transmit the spirit of the speeches made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and other central government cadres during their inspection tour and the speech made by provincial secretary Wang Rulin during the expanded provincial Standing Committee meeting, and to deploy resources to carry out the spirit of those speeches in our city. . . . . The important speeches made by General Secretary Xi Jinping, Secretary Wang Qishan, and Minister Zhao Leji some important new ide

On June 13, 2014, China’s state run television broadcaster reported that lawyer Pu Zhiqiang  (浦志强) had been arrested for illegally obtaining personal information （ 涉嫌寻衅滋事罪非法获取公民个人信息罪：浦志强被依法逮捕 ） On July 29, 2014, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported “The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has decided to place Zhou Yongkang under investigation for suspected ‘serious disciplinary violation.’” As noted previously on this blog, in February 2013, Sina Weibo repeatedly deleted posts making reference to Pu Zhiqiang publicly calling for a reckoning of the domestic security established under the administration of Zhou Yongkang (周永康). These screenshots show that some time between July 5 and July 29, Baidu began censoring searches for Pu Zhiqiang’s name. As the top screenshot belowshows, when a user searched on Baidu for “Pu Zhiqiang Blows the Whistle on Zhou Yongkang” (浦志强实名举报周永康)  on February 8, 2013, Baidu told them “Search results may not comply with

The screenshots above were taken on August 22, 2014, and show that Sina Weibo did not censor searches for "Deng Xiaoping" (邓小平) or "Tanks" (坦克), but did censor searches for "Deng Xiaoping Tanks."  (邓小平 坦克)

On August 8, 2014, the state sponsored Global Times published an editorial under the name “Shan Renping” (单仁平) entitled “ Human Rights Lawyers Not Above the Law ” (in Chinese: “Why Is the West All Hot Over a Released ‘Rights Defense Lawyer’” ( 西方为何热捧获释的“维权律师 ”)). Some excerpts from the English version: According to some foreign media reports, Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer who was put into prison three years ago on the charge of inciting subversion of State power, was released on Thursday. He made headlines in Western media very quickly, becoming another prominent Chinese dissident. . . . . Gao is not well-known among the Chinese public, and there is little information about him on the Chinese Internet. The Chinese version of the editorial put the preceding sentence somewhat differently, stating “Because Gao Zhisheng is not well known in Chinese society and his name is blocked on the web, there is very little public information about him.” (由于高智晟在中国社会的知名度不大，他的名字在网上被屏蔽，可以找到有关他的公开材料很少。).

The propaganda campaign launched in late 2012 coincided with the release of new regulations requiring micro-blogging platforms such as Sina Weibo to impose real name registration requirements on their users. On December 19, 2012, China's official new agency Xinhua published a report entitled "Punish Online Criminals, Strengthen the Protection and Administration of the Internet in Accordance with the Law" ( 惩治网络违法犯罪 依法加强网络信息保护和管理 ). That report stated that on December 24 the National People's Congress Standing Committee would be considering a draft " Decision Regarding Strengthening Network Information Protection ." (关于加强网络信息保护的决定) On December 29, 2012, the People's Daily published an editorial on its front page entitled "Safeguard the Healthy and Orderly Operation of the Internet in Accordance with the Law" ( 依法保障网络健康有序运行 ).  The editorial stated that the National People's Congress Standing Committee had enacted the "Decision,"

One common theme in the People's Daily editorials was that, when it comes to Internet regulation, "everyone does it" - at least three front page editorials explicitly discussed Internet regulation in other countries. In addition, during this period, the People's Daily published a series of reports entitled "Every Country Oversees and Manages the Internet in Accordance with Law - A Comprehensive Analysis" (各国依法监管互联网面面观). Countries covered included: December 20: United States http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2012-12/20/nw.D110000renmrb_20121220_6-03.htm December 22: England http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2012-12/22/nw.D110000renmrb_20121222_6-03.htm December 23: Canada http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2012-12/23/nw.D110000renmrb_20121223_10-03.htm December 24: Australia http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2012-12/24/nw.D110000renmrb_20121224_6-03.htm December 25: United States http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2012-12/25/nw.D110000renm

By far the most prolific publisher of pro-real name regulation propaganda was the People's Daily. In the last two weeks of December that paper published at least ten editorials on its front page espousing the need for new Internet regulations: December 18: "The Internet Is Not Beyond the Law" (网络不是法外之地) December 20: "The Internet Needs to Operate in Accordance with the Law" (网络需要依法运行) December 22: "Internet Development Needs to be 'Grabbed with Two Hands'" (网络发展需要"两手抓") December 23: "There Can Be Health Only Where There is a Bottom Line." (有底线,才健康) December 24: "Words and Deeds on the Internet Should Comply with the Law's Bottom Line" (网络言行应遵循法律底线) December 25: "Further the Internet's 'Positive Forces' Through Rule by Law" (以法治涵养网络"正能量") December 26: "Virtual Spaces Can't Get Away From 'Real World Rules'" (虚拟空间离不开"现实规则") December 28: &qu

On December 19, 2012, Xinhua published a report entitled "Punish Online Criminal Lawbreakers, Strengthen the Protection and Administration of the Internet in  Accordance with the Law" ( 惩治网络违法犯罪 依法加强网络信息保护和管理 ). That report stated that on December 24 the National People's Congress Standing Committee would be considering a draft " Decision Regarding Strengthening Network Information Protection ." (关于加强网络信息保护的决定) The day before Xinhua's report, the People's Daily had already published an editorial on its front page entitled "The Internet is not Beyond the Law" ( 网络不是法外之地 ). Some excerpts: "Its the most spectacular and also the raucous . . . ." many people would agree with this description of the Internet. As a completely new platform, the Internet has brought people social intercourse, information services, opinion exchanges, and tremendous convenience. At the same time it has also brought much that is disturbing - commercial frau

A "real name registration" requirement for users of Internet services has been discussed in China for many years. Here is how a 2005 Xinhua report summed it up: Discussion about a "real name system" also took place on the Internet at the end of the 1990's, but at that time it did not have much impact. What really had an impact and triggered controversy was a 2003 proposal by Tsinghua University professor Li Xiguang that the National People's Congress ban online anonymity and impose an Internet real name system. That affair was reported in the media and spread on the Internet, and gave rise to controversy. Although there was no lack of supporting opinions, it seemed that opposition voices were even stronger. Afterwards the media said that the "final word" was that Li Xiguang had raised the white flag because "a ban on online anonymity was extremely impractical, both from a legal and a technical perspective." With that it seemed this st