On one side, there is Qihoo's 360 which is known for its free anti-virus software.  On the other side, there is Tencent which has the most popular chat service (QQ) in China.

On September 27, 360 released a "privacy protection tool" to its users claiming that it can "monitor and/or record the snooping activities in other software."  The monitoring was directed right at QQ.

According to 360, Tencent's QQ chat software scans a large number of files on people's computers that have nothing to do with the chat function, including the "My Files" item on the desktop, web browsing history, played videos and even online payment software.  Furthermore, the scanning is directed by the server and takes place in the background without the user being aware.

Tencent countered that 360 misread the purpose of QQ's safety checks on executable files as privacy intrusion.  For example, online payment software are provided by financial companies and do not contain any personal information such as account numbers or passwords.

360 disgreed with Tencent's explanation: "Previous to this, nobody was even aware that QQ ran safety checks.  QQ did everything on the sly: starting the safety check, selecting documents to be scanned and making the final decision.

On October 14, Tencent sued 360 for unfair competition.  On October 18, 360 filed a countersuit.

Who is right?  Or who is "more" right?  The controversy is over whether QQ is scanning the documents solely to check safety, whether QQ needed user consent beforehand and who owns the right to monitor software.  All these issues will be answered in court.

"As an ordinary Internet user, we are glad to see these companies expose each other's faults.  This is the only way that they can hold each other in checks and balances.  At present, we do not have effective supervision in this area.  We really need some software that truly protects our privacy."

(KDNet)

Process Monitor is a Microsoft tool for monitoring computer processes.  I downloaded Process Monitor version 2.93 and I tested QQ, MSN, Ali Wangwang, Feixun and other chat tools.  After I launched each program, I did not do anything with it because I wanted to see if it will surreptitiously peek at private documents on the computer hard disk.

Process Monitor showed that not only did QQ automatically scan many programs and document unrelated to chat function (such as the "My Files" folder), it even checked the browser history (including the visited web pages, blogs, mailbox usage, temporary cookies, etc.).  Afterwards, QQ generated a vast amount of Internet file transfers which probably means that the information was uploaded to the central servers.  Within a mere ten seconds, it accessed almost 10,000 items!  Meanwhile, MSN and other chat tools only accessed its own program files and related system files.


The list of programs or files that QQ had checked according to Process Monitor

According to both Process Monitor and 360, within ten minutes of initiating the QQ chat program, a quick scan of the computer is made for software on a pre-set "Super Black List" consisting of 685 programs, including chat, games, download, video, browser, character entry, stock, online television, email, electronic books and system tools from well-known software providers such as Shengda, Sogou, Thunder, Blizzard, etc.

On October 26, at the Pingdingshan Academy (Henan), a disconsolate student sits in his "dormitory."  This big unfurnished classroom had been converted into a temporary bedless dormitory.  Luggage cases were scattered all over the floor, and the blankets/mattresses were laid down over a thin board on the floor.  A cable traversed the room, allowing the dripping laundry to hang and dry.

To study, the students use their 'beds' as chairs and their knees as desks.  A female student said: "I never imagined that this is how it turned out.  Who would have thought?  I told my high school classmates that I am sleeping on the floor.  They were very much astonished.  I get this sense of listlessness, like someone without a home."  Another female student said: "I can deal with having no place to put my things, hang my laundry to dry, do my homework in bed and sharing two restrooms with more than 100 people.  I can deal with that.  But I find it hard to sleep like this at night."

The "dormitory" turned out to be far less than what these incoming students imagined a university campus should look like.  When will these students move into real dormitories?  Nobody knows yet.  The students don't dare tell their parents because they don't want to cause worry.

Student A: "Conditions here must be unique among universities all over the world!"
Student B: "This is worse than high school.  In high school, we still have a bed to sleep on.  Here we sleep on a board.  At night, it feels chilly even if we use two blankets.  I don't dare to tell my parents.  They would worry if I tell them because it is cold at night.  I told them that things are great and we have cupboards and all that.  They don't know that we sleep on the floor."
Student C: "When we came, they said that we would be moving the next week."
Student D: "They said within a month, but they did not give a specific date.  We have not received any more information.  This is our second week here already.

According to information, the more than first tier 60 universities directly under administration the Ministry of Education are not significantly expanding their student bodies for now.  Most of the expansions take place in the second tier or lower institutions.  Usually, the Provincial Department of Education's Expansion Planning Office decides how many students each institution should recruit each year.  At the Pingdingshan Academy, student recruitment had been increasing at a 10% annual rate.  There were more than 6,200 new students this year. Tuition covers only one-fourth of the operational costs with the balance coming in the form of subsidies. 

What if the state does not provide enough subsidies?  The university will have to find money from somewhere.  They can get bank loans, which will have to be repaid eventually.  At the Pingdingshan Academy, they attracted private investors who construct school buildings in return for a fixed-rate return on that investment.  The dormitory buildings were planned that way.  The average cost of construction was about 4 to 5 million yuan, and the school proposes to repay the investors 600,000 yuan back per year over a course of 20 years.  However, the investors misjudged the construction schedule and there were also more rain delays this year than normal.  So this is where things stand.

The Zhaojiadui village can no longer be said to be a village.  Where several hundred homes used to stand, there is just an empty lot with one house standing in the middle.  The lot is surrounded by walls more than 2 meters high with no vehicle entrance.  Zhao Xing's family is the only one left, consisting of Zhao Xing, his wife and his 83-year-old mother.

Zhao Xing acknowledges that he is a "nail householder."  At the end of 2009, public notices were posted that the village was to be rebuilt.  He was very happy because he thought that living conditions in the village had been poor.  But he expected to receive adequate compensation.  Absent that, he became a "nail householder." 

Zhao Xing said: "This year, electricity and water were frequently cut off.  Each time, I had to go and fix it myself."

At around 4am on October 14, the family of three was sleeping at home.  Suddenly someone used bricks to smash their windows.  They woke up and tried to go outside to see.  But their front door was locked with steel bars from the outside.  They had to call for friends to open the door, which was splashed with feces.

At 9am on October 18, Zhao Xing went out on an errand.  When he got back at 10am, he found an excavator digging a moat around his house.  The excavation continued until through the afternoon.  There was a moat more than 3 meters wide and more than two meters deep around his house.  There was rain for a few days afterwards, so that the moat was filled with water.

Zhao Xing said that a friend brought him two long wooden boards.  This allowed the family to enter and leave the house.  But the excavators came back and dug even deeper.  His 83-year-old mother could no longer make that trip.

At 4am on October 27, someone came and broke the window glass again.  This was probably done by a gun which left bullet holes in the glass.  Zhao went up the roof and observed several figures moving around.  He threw bricks at them and called the police.

The Zhao family used to cook with an electric stove.  Ever since electricity and water were cut off, they now cook with liquefied gas.  Friends brought them several large bags of rice.  Zhao's daughter get their meat and vegetables from a restaurant.  Zhao gets water from the gas station.  Each time, he carries two plastic containers of water weighing 25 kilograms each.  To save water, they wash their face first, then use that water to wash their feet, then use that water to flush the toilet.  Bathing and laundry are luxuries that they cannot afford.  When it rained a few days ago, the Zhao family had containers taken out on the roof to capture rainwater.

Since there is no electricity, consumer electronic items such as television, refrigerator, etc have been idle.  The Zhaos use candles for light at at night.  Zhao has two batteries for his mobile phone, one of which is always being re-charged at a friend's place while the other is in use.

In addition, there is that wall surrounding the lot.  There should be a one-meter or so gap that allowed people to enter and exit.  But a pile of rubble more than 2 meters high has been placed there.  So the Zhao family had to climb up the rubble pile to enter and exit the lot.

Okay, so this is an outrageous news story.  What happens after it got published and received wide comments from all over China?

Last evening, Zhao Xing's son-in-law called the reporter to say that the excavators have come back to fill in the moat and restore everything to original conditions.  Our reporter went to the scene and obtained that an excavator was filling out a road several meters wide.  According to Zhao Xing, at just past 5pm, the demolitionists, the investors and the Wuhua district government workers brought presents to his home and apologize to the family.  They also promised to fill up the moat and restore electricity/water overnight.


Actress Hao Lei and her ex-husband Li Guangjie

In early morning on October 27, actress Hao Lei posted several dozen microblog posts that were rants against "Henan persons."  The microblog posts included a lot of obscene language, such as "Your mother's (cunt)," "act like a fucking fool," "ignorant retarded cunt," etc.  Then she deleted those posts.  But these posts were noticed by netizens and drew an Internet firestorm.


You!  Must apologize to the people of Henan

On October 28, the Henan-based newspaper <Dongfang Jinbao> published an editorial piece entitled "You! Must apologize to the people of Henan."  The editorial said: "As a local Henan media, we express our strong ire over the words and actions of Hao Lei during this incident.  While we defend the freedom of expression of all persons, we must also defend our own dignity.  We find it unacceptable for someone to maintain silence after having hurt the feelings of the people of Henan.  Deleting all the microblog posts does not mean that Hao Lei is sorry.  It only shows that she is a coward who refuses to accept responsibility.  Here, we solemnly demand that Hao Lei apologize formally for her actions on October 27, 2010 that seriously hurt the feelings of the people of Henan."

Internet opinion was divided over this editorial.

One netizen who supported this editorial wrote: "As a Henan person, I accept having <Dongfang Jinbao> represent my voice.  This is also an opinion shared by the majority of the Henan netizens.  A public figure must accept responsibility for her public speech.  The media has the duty to supervise.  Never mind any talk about journalistic responsibility, because a local Henan media ought to represent the wishes of the majority of the people of Henan."

But another netizen demurred: "<Dongfang Jinbao> is using a public media tool to apply pressure on a minor actress.  This actress is not exactly a bigwig."  Still another netizen wrote: "It was wrong for Hao Lei to curse out Henan persons.  But this editorial showed that this newspaper lacks tolerance and self-confidence.  There are so many tragic and miserable incidents in China, but the newspaper had never been so angry and grim as over this case."  A netizen wrote: "Hao Lei curses the people of Henan, and suddenly the media could not sit still.  They worked righteously to defend the honor of the people of Henan.  What kind of spirit is this?  This is the fearless spirit to seek out a subject for dinner conversation, this is the selfless spirit to be concerned about people's livelihood and ethnic solidarity, this is the self-sacrificing spirit to bring about a new wave of criticisms and self-criticisms all over China."  Another netizen commented: "The Henan people and their media have successfully pushed those sympathize with them over to Hao Lei's side."

Early morning on October 29, Hao Lei commented on this incident for the first time on her blog.  The two blog posts that together contained more than 2,000 words showed confused logic and vehement speech.  She wrote: "I wanted to curse people out tonight just as I wanted to curse the other night!  I should not have transferred all my rage against everybody in Henan.  Although some people have deeply hurt me, I will not make any so-called apology!  As for those several individuals, let me tell you that I will fight you to my death!"  She also wrote: "I give up!  Many friends are sending me text messages because they are afraid that I might commit suicide.  But do you know that my acting is also my life.  I have made all the preparations to give up my acting career!"  In the last paragraph, Hao Lei worked herself up to a climax: "I should not stop at using foul curse words.  I should get a knife and kill them all!"

Why was the normally genteel Hao Lei cursing the people of Henan on her microblog?  This is perplexing.  Some netizens think that she was targeting her ex-husband Li Guangji who is from Henan.  But Li's manager said that this incident has nothing to do with him. 

(South China Morning Post)  Drunk US student jailed for killing taxi driver.  October 28, 2010.

A 23-year-old American student was jailed on Thursday for four years over the bizarre death of a taxi driver. Hong Kong-born Kelsey Mudd, who has joint US-Australian citizenship, was convicted of manslaughter by a jury on late on Wednesday after denying responsibility for the death of Wong Chi-ming in June last year.

Mudd had been accused of commandeering Wong's taxi and then embarking on an alcohol-fuelled driving spree before smashing into a metal fence in the city's financial district, killing the 58-year-old.

The court was told Wong was entangled in a seatbelt and dragged along before Mudd crashed. Mudd’s blood-alcohol level was five times the legal limit, the court heard. “You were staggeringly drunk,” Justice Alan Wright said as he passed sentence, and called Mudd a “substantial and immediate danger” to passers-by.

Mudd – a student at California State University who was in Hong Kong volunteering for a charity at the time of the accident - showed no remorse, the judge said. “You sought to put blame on others,” he added.

The case grabbed headlines after video footage of the incident emerged showing Mudd inside the taxi with blood splattered on his face. Jurors also found Mudd guilty of taking a vehicle without authority, dangerous driving and drink driving.

Michael Mudd maintained his son’s innocence after the sentencing. “We are very disappointed,” he told reporters. “There was enough confusion, nobody really knows what happened.” Mudd’s father said the family would “look at all options available” when asked about appealing the conviction.

Wong’s older brother, who declined to be identified, lashed out at the “very light” sentence and called Mudd a “madman”.

Mudd’s lawyer described him as “extremely distressed over the fact that he is partly responsible for the death of the taxi driver”. His defence had argued that the amount of alcohol Mudd consumed and a head injury he sustained prior to the fatal accident meant he was unlikely to have even remembered the incident, reports said.

(The Standard)  Killer student 'lacks remorse'   By Colleen Lee.  October 29, 2010.

Australian student Kelsey Lord Michael Mudd was sentenced yesterday to four years and three months in jail for causing the death of a taxi driver - with the judge criticizing him for showing no remorse.

A jury convicted Hong Kong-born Mudd, 23, of the manslaughter of Wong Chi-ming, 58, by a five to two majority in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday. He was also unanimously found guilty of taking a vehicle without authority, dangerous driving and driving over the legal alcohol limit.

Mudd, who holds American, Australian and British citizenship, is a student at California State University.

Justice Alan Wright said the defendant's behavior after the collision showed he was "staggering drunk." His blood alcohol level was more than five times over the limit. He said the student showed no remorse, regret or sorrow over the incident. But he took into consideration that Mudd did not intend to drive on the night of the incident and is a young man still pursuing his studies.

In mitigation, Mudd's counsel, Christopher Young, said the defendant was only partly responsible. If Mudd had not been left alone in the taxi, the incident would not have happened, he argued. "The defendant had no excuse for being drunk. His drunken state must have been evident to the driver, who nevertheless got out of the car," said Young, adding that "the defendant did not recollect what occurred." He said Mudd did not intend to drive the vehicle when he got into the taxi as a passenger.

Mudd, wearing a black suit, showed little emotion after hearing the sentence.

The court heard that on June 27 last year, Mudd tried to seize control of the taxi from Wong on Connaught Road near City Hall in Central. Wong tried to get out of the cab to pull Mudd out but was still strapped in by his seat belt. Wong was dragged as his taxi rammed into a metal fence dividing Connaught Road. The vehicle hit two other taxis before stopping, and Wong was left lying in the road. While paramedics were attending to him, Mudd suddenly drove off in the wrong direction, missing several oncoming cars before hitting another taxi.

Outside court, the eldest brother of the dead driver slammed the sentence as too light. "I am furious. How could he be jailed for such a short period for killing my brother?" he said. "He simply put the blame on my brother. As a taxi driver, he could not have refused to let [Mudd] get in the taxi."

The brother, also a night-shift taxi driver, said there were times when he met drunk passengers who tried to grab his wheel, and it was difficult to deal with such situations. He said his brother had been a taxi driver for 30 years and is survived by his wife and two children in their late 20s.

Mudd's father, Michael Mudd, said: "I'm very disappointed with the outcome. We think there was enough confusion that night that nobody really knows what happened and that he was not given the benefit of the doubt." He said he will consider all possible legal options. Mudd's mother, Tasha White, said her son is sorry. "He's very sad about the taxi driver, what happened to him, but he has no memory of what happened," she said.

Mudd was spending the summer volunteering at a Hong Kong charity.

(Apple Daily News-In-Motion)

 

Online Discussion: Hong Kong GeoExpat

On the Chinese Internet, three Japanese female pop idols of Chinese descent were said to shock Japan by posing for photos in front of a "Defend China's Diaoyutai Islet" banner. (See "Angel Girl")

I have lived in Japan for many years, and I have never heard of any Japanese female pop idol group going by the name "Angel Girl."  I asked many other people and they haven't heard of it either.  Nobody in the media business know them, and none of the several dozen Chinese-language newspapers in Japan reported on this allegedly very popular female group.  Chinese persons and students in Japan do not know "Angel Girl."  There is nothing on the Internet about "Angel Girl," especially not about their audio-visual work.

Many Chinese netizens are wondering: How come there is no information about this Japanese pop idol group "Angel Girl?" At Baidu, the post bar "Angel Girl" was seen to appear first on 2010-10-20 22:46 by someone named "Love Angel Girl The Most."  At 2010-10-21 20:20, "Love Angel Girl The Most" added "How are you, administrator?  I am the post bar operator for 'Angel Girl'.  I am updating this bar by swapping a photo of the group members with one that has higher resolution.  Please approve this request.  I have not changed any of the text."

According to the provided information, "The three members are of Chinese descent.  Although they have only started out recently and have not received much exposure in mainstream Japanese television, they are already popular all over Japan.  They are highly beloved by otaku guys who consider them a new generation of guy-killing female group."

What does it mean to be "of Chinese descent"?  This is being deliberately vague -- why kind of visas do these Chinese people hold in Japan?  "Not much exposure in mainstream Japanese television" means that they have never been seen on television?  Or maybe they can be seen only on those special small pay channels?

According to the provided information, "the group made its initial appearance in May 2010.  They were assembled by a famous Japanese fashion magazine group and a recording company over three years.  They are managed by the joint venture company Kitano HKOT Business Group.  Their new album <Angel Girl> and their photo album <Angel> are expected to appear in time for Christmas this year.  Because the members are of Chinese descent and they only present 'Chinese goods' (such as electronics, beauty products, gourmet food) to their fans through their microblog, they are excluded from mainstream media."

Wouldn't you like to know which fashion magazine group it was?  Or which recording company it was?  Is the Kitano HKOT Business Group a small investment company that some Chinese person set up in order to obtain a business visa?  If their new album <Angel Girl> and their photo album <Angel> won't be released until Christmas, does this mean that they have released nothing so far?  And does it mean that these three girls are just spokeswomen/saleswomen representing Chinese products?

According to the provided information, "All the printed and electronic magazines of the entire magazine group promoted and marketed this group.  This technique of continual information drew the attention of Japanese otaku guys.  The young, fresh and sweet looks of Angel Girl overwhelmed uncountable number of Japanese otaku guys.  Their photo album set a record of 1 million downloads at one website in one day.  In the latest Top 10 Female Goddesses For Otaku Guys, they were the top vote-getters."

What is the name of the magazine group?  Why can't they say which magazines?  Which website recorded the 1 million downloads?  If they can overwhelm otaku guys by photos alone, does it mean that these are just Chinese girls selling their looks?  Who decided the top 10 female goddesses?  Did the three girls vote themselves in?

According to the provided information, "The results of the <Annual Top 10 Female Goddesses For Otaku Guys> was just released last weekend after voting over the previous month.  The young and fresh Angel Girl group and AKB48 shared the top honors ... the event was sponsored by a certain Japanese magazine and a certain social networking website for the purpose of gauging new trends among male Internet users.  According to the voting result, the top 10 female goddesses are: Angel Girl, AKB48, Erika Sawajiri, Beckii Cruel, Nozomi Sasaki, Maki Horikita, Lin Chiling, Sola Aoi, Jolin Tsai, Ueto Aya.  ..."

The names of the sponsoring Japanese magazines and the social networking website are not given. AKB48 is very well-known in Japan.  How can three Chinese women who have never been on television and who don't have any audio-visual product be a match for AKB48?  The Japanese AV star Sola Aoi?  Nobody can believe that these three Chinese women can go ahead of Sola Aoi?  Certain Chinese girls are popular with the older Japanese men in the Shinjuku district sex trade because they charge cheaper than Japanese girls.

The provided information also described the three females as: Annie Yang (Beijing) born 1987-10-20; Amy Cao (Taiwan) born 1992-1-20; Angela Nie (Changsha) born 1990-6-10.

These three members claim to be of Chinese descent.  They do not say that they are Chinese persons living in Japan.  But since they are Japanese, how come they only have English names but no Japanese names?  Are there really three such women in Japan?  How come neither the Japanese people nor the Chinese people living in Japan have ever heard of such a female pop idol group?

This poorly constructed fake news is being treated as real by Chinese persons who don't know the truth.  But now even the Japanese media who monitor the Chinese Internet are beginning to pay attention to this piece of fake news.

(The Wall Street Journal)  Film Fest the Latest Japan-China Feud Victim.  By Brittany Hite.  October 27, 2010.

First it was a fishing boat, then a panda. Now it’s film festival name tags.

In the latest chapter of the deepening diplomatic drama between China and Japan, China has announced that it will no longer participate in the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival after controversy erupted over the naming of the event’s Taiwanese delegation.

Jiang Ping, head of a Chinese group that planned to attend the film festival–which kicked off this weekend–said China would pull out of the event because fellow participant Taiwan refused to change its name to “China’s Taiwan” or “Chinese Taipei.” Mr. Jiang’s insistence came at the last minute Saturday, and prevented a number of Taiwanese and Chinese celebrities from making their star-studded appearances on the environmentally friendly green carpet.

[...]

Just in case observers got confused about the target of China’s ire, Jiang, who is also deputy director-general of SARFT’s film bureau, emphasized to state media that the blame lay not with the Taiwan festival delegation, but with the Japanese organizers: “It has nothing to do with our Taiwan compatriots. It is the fault of the Tokyo organizers,” he told the Global Times.

But Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that Chen Chih-kuan, the head of the Taiwanese delegation, was surprised at Beijing’s decision. The island had simply applied for the event under the name “Taiwan” as it had done without incident in years past, he said. Taiwanese officials called the move by Beijing “rude.” “Obviously, the leader of the Chinese delegation, Jiang, made a serious mistake. We have participated in film festivals, including the Tokyo [Film Festival] under the name of Taiwan for years,” Premier Wu Den-yih said.

CNA reported that Taiwanese actress Vivian Hsu broke into tears during a press conference Sunday in Tokyo while discussing the Mainland’s move, which prevented her and others from making their carpet debut.

Here is the television news footage:

 

At 0:26, Vivian Hsu is dabbing at the tears in her eyes.  At 0:48, Vivian Hsu is attending an evening reception at which she explained that she cried earlier because she had misgivings on behalf of the Taiwanese actors and actresses.  She said: "So I remembered that yesterday I, Shiao-tian, director Dou and Chun-ning were very much looking forward to walking on the green carpet.  Then I couldn't hold myself back.  I am strongly emotional."

So how did this lawyer's letter come out? (via Wenxue City)

[in translation]

1. This letter was prepared and released at the behest of the principal, Ms. Vivian Hsu.

2. With respect to Ms. Vivian Hsu shedding tears at the Tokyo Film Festival, the huge amount of media coverage has caused distress for her.  This lawyer makes the following clarifications on behalf of Ms. Vivian Hsu:

1. Ms. Vivian Hsu shed tears at the Tokyo Film Festival because of personal concerns over the health condition of a family member as well as the work pressures of working alone in a foreign country.  It is not related to any other factor.  All interpretations and views of the media and netizens do not represent her own intent.

2. Recently, certain people have pretended to speak as Ms. Vivian Hsu on the Internet.  This was not herself speaking.

3. Ms. Vivian Hsu indicates that wherever she may be and whatever she may say, she only wants to do her work well as a performance artist.  As such, she holds no political position.

4. Concerning the insulting language employed by certain netizens in recent days against herself, Ms. Vivian Hsu felt sad and hurt.  Ms. Vivian Hsu would like to see the whole matter come to a halt.  Please do not spend more energy and please do not say unreasonable things.  Ms. Vivian Hsu reserves the legal right to seek redress against personal attacks.

5. Lastly, Ms. Vivian Hsu thanks everybody for caring about her.  She hopes that people will focus their attention on her work and that would be an affirmation of Ms. Vivian Hsu.

Lawyer Lee Wen-chung, 2F, No.104, Sec. 2. Xinyi Rd., Da-an District, Taipei City 106, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

(Taipei Times)  Vivian Hsu's tears became fodder for debate on the Web.  By Chang Mao-sen.  October 27, 2010.

Taiwanese actress Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄), who was in tears following a row in which members of Taiwan’s delegation to the Tokyo International Film Festival were unable to walk the “green carpet” because of Chinese opposition, quickly became the subject of a spat between fans on both sides of the Taiwan Strait who have split into pro-Hsu and anti-Hsu camps.

Having wept openly at the opening ceremony, Hsu made several entries on her microblog to express her frustration afterward. Hsu said she “wanted to cry but had no tears left” and that “some things that happen just can’t be helped.”

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi (舒淇) attempted to comfort Hsu, saying: “There are too many things we’d like to solve but can’t. If you’re tired, go to sleep. Your health, at least, is one thing you can make sure of.”

Controversy brewed over Hsu’s tears as Chinese and Taiwanese fans argued it out in comments posted on her blog. The pro-Hsu netizens sympathized with her and other members of the Taiwanese delegation for their frustration, while the other camp accused the actress of playing to the cameras for publicity.

The controversy also drew attention on China’s Web portal Baidu, with more than 80 percent of Chinese posters saying they would boycott any performance by Hsu in China. Some Chinese posters even blamed the festival’s Japanese hosts for the incident.

“It’s the Japanese up to their tricks again, creating divisions between Taiwan and mainland China,” one poster said, while another commented: “The Japanese are stirring up trouble on purpose, but the Taiwanese are dancing to their tune.”

Some even suggested that the argument over what name the Taiwanese delegation would use had something to do with the territorial dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) and that Taiwan was acting like a gun in Japan’s hand.

A "Driving While Intoxicated" traffic accident that led to one death and one injury on the Hebei University campus began a firestorm on the Chinese Internet.  This is seemingly incomprehensible.  But upon further analysis, it is quite understandable and logical.

At first, this seems perplexing but not completely ridiculous: In Baoding city, Hebei province, the son of a public security bureau deputy director was an intern after graduation, but he was already driving a 250,000 yuan car.  While intoxicated by alcohol, he drove the car at what eyewitnesses said was at least 40 kmph speed in a 5 kmph zone and hit two persons, one of whom died while the other sustained injuries.  This is not normal, but this is something that regular people can understand within their common knowledge.

But what happens next is not regular people can understand.  After this 22-year-old guy hit the pedestrians, he did not stop to render assistance.  Instead he drove away not once, but twice.  The first time, he got out of the car and saw that the victims were lying immobilized on the ground.  He did not offer any assistance.  He got back into his car and drove away.  The second time, he came back down the same road and did not even stop.  When the young man was intercepted by security guards at the university entrance gate, he howled arrogantly: "My dad is Li Gang."

When Li Gang's son caused this disaster which resulted in one death and one injury, nobody else is involved.  The young man did not intend to kill anyone.  Eventually, the young man will accept responsibility for his act, his parents will pay compensation to the victims and their families and the young man will probably be punished mildly under the law.

But the words "My dad is Li Gang" suddenly created a butterfly effect that led to a major social crisis in a way that is uniquely Chinese.  I believe that any serious social scientist must take a research interest in this case; and any serious politician must be concerned about the deep social crisis created by this minor incident and the implications for the future of China.

Here I want to discuss some of my viewpoints about "Car Accident Gate."

Firstly, I think that the quick intercession of CCTV into this case failed to stem the rushing public opinion tide.  Instead, they unwisely followed up on the case along the same vein.  Unless CCTV makes a 180 degree turn, it will have no credibility when it covers similar incidents in the future.

Frankly, I can understand that the CCTV editors wanted to calm down hatred among the masses who don't know the truth against the arrogance of the children of government officials.  Therefore, they were willing to dedicate precious on-air minutes to show the Li father and son crying in tears and being contrite.  They did this in an attempt to cool down the public opinion storm.  But they made a fatal mistake here: they ignored the need for the family members of the victims to express their feelings, including the likelihood that they may accept the sincere apologies of the victimizer and his father.  This was short-sighted and unwise, because the opportunity to get to the victims' side of the story now belonged to civilian dissidents and non-mainstream media.  In so doing, it almost completely gave up its credibility and fairness in covering the case.

Next, this is an age in which the Internet is everywhere.  Any public incident or public figure which draws the interests of netizens and spectators will almost inevitably be subject to human flesh search.  This meant that the true face of Li Gang was inevitably going to be uncovered, and it was just a simple matter of counting down to when he stumbles to his inexorable fall.

Let us look at the evolving development of this case.  A traffic accident in a corner of the Hebei University campus was magnified into a huge negative event because the driver said "My dad is Li Gang."  The rapidity created a news effect, as many media ran in-depth investigations and netizens conducted human flesh searches.  This caused Li Gang and his social background to be revealed.  This development makes sense.  Not only did it caused the vast wealth of Li Gang to be made known, but the suspected plagiarism of the Hebei University president also came out in public.

With respect to the five houses owned by Li Gang and his son, if the son did not say "My dad is Li Gang" after causing the accident, then the ownership of this shocking amount of wealth will probably be a personal secret that would not come into public view.

Finally, we find that when a minor traffic accident inside a university campus began to draw public attention, the main story was no longer about the simple issue of punishing the young driver.  These grassroots netizens who are certain that "all government officials are corrupt" are waiting to watch CCTV ask Li Gang about his five houses whose addresses and types have been identified.  How did he procure those houses?  If CCTV is going all the way, they might also asked that extremely stupid Hebei University president about his plagiarism case which had been previously glossed over.

In summary, this minor traffic accident on the Hebei University campus is a classical butterfly effect.  It may now be at the point where the principals must be severely punished in order to staunch the tide of public opinion.

If not, I predict that the persons behind this messy "Car Accident Gate" will inevitably pay a huge price some day: in the form of government officials and their family members continuing to be shameless and arrogant, destroying the minimal legitimacy of the governing class in our country.

[Lie to Me is an American television series that premiered on the Fox network on January 21, 2009. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The Lightman Group accept assignments from third parties (commonly local and federal law enforcement), and assist in investigations, reaching the truth through applied psychology: interpreting microexpressions, through the Facial Action Coding System, and body language.]

 

Detail #1.  Li Gang's on deliberately knitted his brows

Lightman said: "A person will have this expression when they are sad, frustrated, pained and guilty.  Fewer than 15% of all persons can fake this expression. Any expression that can be sustained more than 10 or five seconds is likely fake."

In the video, Li Gang's son knitted his brow several times (some of them for more than 10 seconds).  You can even feel that he was trying to sustain this expression in order to exhibit "pain" and "self-recrimination."  A person who feels genuine pain and guilty may knit his brow, but Li Gang's son needed to use his muscles to achieve this expression.

This was very much a failure, because when people saw this expression, they don't feel sympathy and pity.  Instead, they feel uneasy, even awkwardness.  Your inner reactions have not deceived you.

Detail #2.  Rubbing the eyes

In behavioral psychology, rubbing the eyes signals unwillingness.  Even a natural-born blind person will spontaneously run his eyes when asked to do something against his will.  In the video, Li Gang's son rubbed his eyes hard in order to show that he was crying hard.  This key action thoroughly showed his hypocrisy.  In "Lie to Me," there were many examples of people using actions to mask their true expression, resulting in the opposite result.  Rubbing the eyes is a classical fake action.

Detail #3.  Voice and tone

When people lie, they seldom know how to say it in the correct order.  Therefore they will have scripted the lies beforehand.

When Li Gang's son spoke, he kept acknowledging his guilt.  However, you can feel that his words had been scripted beforehand.  His expression showed that he was searching the script on how to tell the lies.

In "Lie to Me," repetition of words and raising of tone both indicate lying.

According to Li Gang's son, "I did not plan on saying an apology."  But when he said it on camera, his tone changed suddenly.  Because he wanted to tell his lies out as quickly as possible, his tone kept rising and his body pose became somewhat unnatural.  He only wanted to finish as quickly as possible.  Thus, he was breaking down when he began to say "I very much blame myself ..."  Most people will only silently acknowledge their guilty.  Li Gang's son went in the opposite direction.  His unnatural sobs also seemed too crafted.

Detail #4.  Head lowered, eyes closed

People who plan to lie know that their eyes may betray them.  So they are interviewed on camera, they will choose not to face or look into the camera.  Li Gang's son sued the easiest and safest method -- he closed his eyes, he knitted his brow, he cried, he sobbed -- these are the expressions of pain and guilty that people are familiar with. But his micro-actions and micro-expressions betrayed him.

I believe that Li Gang's son felt no contrition after he drove his car and hit two pedestrians at Hebei University.  To this date, he has felt no remorse.  He believes that his powerful father Li Gang will fix things for him.

Detail #5.  The sudden changes in expression

Comrade Li Gang used public relations tactics to try to win public sympathy.  He told his son to put on a show in the detention center, and he himself gave a media interview.  Some people say that government officials are expert performers in front of television camera.  Actually, Li Gang is no expert because his performance was just as lousy as his son's.

At first Li Gang held his head bowed and then he sighed.  (Not a long sigh, just a sigh to show tension).  Then his head started to bob slightly.  But you should pay attention to the changes in his expression.  At first, he showed no expression  But within a few seconds, he tried to show sorrow and pain!  Aren't we too familiar with this turn of events!!  Yes, do you remember the movie <King of Comedy> in which the director told actor Stephen Chow> to display various expressions?  You can watch carefully yourself and see the similarity for yourself.

Comrade Li Gang, you got into your role pretty quickly because you managed to come up with a tearful expression within seconds.  But you climaxed too quickly ...  Because this act was hard to sustain, you had to cover up.  The motions of your hands betrayed you!

Lightman said that when someone subconsciously puts a hand over the mouth, it meant that the person is trying to refrain from lying.

Here is another example:

Detail #6.  Bobbing the head around

Do you remember in "Lie to Me" that when someone shakes his head while he speaks, he is concealing the truth.  Li Gang shook his head many times subconsciously and out of synchronisation with his words.  This shows that he was subconsciously negating his own words.  His brain is reminding him constantly: I am lying, I am not telling the truth.

Detail #7.  Tightly knit brows through applying facial muscles

Someone who is experiencing genuine inner pain does not need to exert himself so heavily.  Li Gang was not very professional, because he forgot to knit his brows on several occasions and reverted to a relaxed condition.  Then he took a quick bow and exited from his poor performance.

We don't need any analysis because everybody can tell that they were putting on an act in order to win public sympathy.  But their performances were too hurried and pathetic.

On October 3, a Bank of China branch office in Linfen city, Shanxi province raised the national flag only halfway up the flag pole.  The Linfen Forum administrator Li Dan took a photo and made a post: "On the morning of October 3, I received a tip from a netizen friend saying that the national flag in front of the Bank of China's Linfen office was raised to half past."  Li Dan said that he took a taxi with camera in hand.  "I did not even get out of the taxi.  I took five photos in front of the Bank of China entrance."  At some time past 10am that morning, Li Dan picked one photo and posted it on the Linfen Forum.

Later that afternoon, Li Dan called a newspaper reporter Li Dianping and sent them five photos.  At past 11pm that night, Li Dianping published <What is the Bank of China's Linfen branch lowering the flag to half mast in national mourning?> along with three of the photos provided by Li Dan.

This 1,000+ word post drew some response.  The China Media Information Net, Biadu's Yaodu Bar and other websites carried it.

On October 4, Li Dan received a call from the Linfen city Internet management department to tell him as a Yaodu website administrator to delete that post.  "I deleted it immediately."  Li Dan also deleted his own post at the Linfen Forum.  But on October 6, another netizen copied that same post from elsewhere back to the Linfen Forum.  This post was not detected until October 8 when the forum operator Lei Yunfei deleted it.

On the evening of October 7, China Media Information's Linfen Forum administrator Fe Qingfeng was detained by the police.  On October 8, another administrator Li Yongreng was taken away by the police for interrogation, together with his home computer.  On that day, Li Dan sensed that "something is amiss" and decided to leave Linfen.  On the morning of October 9, Li Dan's home computer was taken away by the police.  Linfen Forum administrator Jia Shaofeng was also taken away by the police.  "They took away his computer CPU and three USB devices."  Jia Shaofeng's father said.  Linfen Forum operator Lei Yunfei and the Yaodu Post Bar operator Wang Wei were also taken away by the police.

On October 16, our reporter went to the Bank of China's Linfen office.  According to manager Ren Shiyong, they had received an inquiry from someone who claimed to be a reporter about why the national flag in front of the bank was raised only to half mast.  "We thought that it was sabotage, so we filed a police report."  When the bank learned about the Internet posts, they asked the city party publicity department to delete the posts.  They also contacted the various forum administrators to ask them not to hype up this matter without knowing the facts yet.

On October 18, the police determined that no "intentional sabotage" had taken place.  The Linfen public security bureau publicity department director Chen Jing said that several students were playing and they lowered the flag.  These students were not ordered by anyone to do so, and they are unrelated to the persons who made those Internet posts.

So why were Fei Qingfeng and others arrested?  Chen Jing told our reporter that four persons have been arrested on suspicion of extortion, but the details cannot be disclosed while the investigation is still ongoing.  Yet, according to Shi Yong, the alleged reporter who called on October 3 "did not demand money or anything else."

(Southern Metropolis Daily, 10/22/2010)

On the morning of October 21, the Linfen (Shanxi) police held a press conference to made a progress report in the case.  According to the police, the Linfen Forum administrator Li Dan made that post and then told another administrator Jia Shaofeng: "Get the Bank of China people to contact us and offer us some goodies."  Jia also published the post at the Baidu Linfen Post Bar and the Baidu Yaodo Post Bar.  Li then called China Media Information's Linfen bureau chief Li Yongfeng.  Then the forum administrator Fei Qingfeng used a specially purchased phone car with a out-of-province number and pretended to be a reporter calling the Bank of China's Linfen office.  "He threatened the Bank of China leader to explain how the national flag was a half mast."

The police claimed that Li Yongfeng confessed that their motive was: "To make the Bank of China come to us to handle the matter by giving us some goodies, perhaps even money."

"Angel girl" is a new Japanese music group.  Its three members are Chinese-born (Amy is from Beijing, Angela is from Changsha and Anna is from Taiwan).  At present, the "Angel girl" is not very popular in the mainstream Japanese entertainment field.  Besides, "Angel girl" likes to use microblogs to tell their fans about China-made electronics, beauty products, etc.  This "Chinese subconsciousness" is rejected in mainstream Japanese media.  But their management agency has sought instead to use new media such as websites and electronic magazines to package them.

Ever since the renewed conflict over the Diaoyutai Islets, anti-Japanese demonstrations have exploded in mainland China.  Anti-Japan sentiments abound at websites such as the Strong Nation Forum, indicating the presence of a subtle interaction between the Chinese government and its citizens that is both cooperative as well as oppositional over nationalism ...

Actually, many Hong Kong netizens (including those who are pan-democrats) do not agree with the anti-Japanese reasoning of mainland Chinese netizens, with many describing themselves as "moderate anti-Japanese elements."  Most of them regard themselves as "rational critics" and they label the rabid mainland nationalists as "angry young people" and "shitty young people."  They do their best to show their difference.  Hong Kong netizens like to compare the mainland Chinese angry young man with the Japanese right wingers.  One netizen wrote: "Perhaps the angry young men and the ultra-rightists are very similar types of people.  They start off from their nationalist sentiments and they attack people because of who they are and not what the facts are.  The only difference is that they hold different positions on certain things ... people who don't even want to think for themselves are the same everywhere."  At the Golden Forum which is influential among young people, some users frequently say: Hong Kong patriots are rational unlike the Strong Nation Forum whose users are "shitty young men."

The Strong Nation Forum which is a frequent target of sarcasm from Hong Kong netizens represents the nationalistic sentiments of certain netizens.  They reflect the fact that netizens are dissatisfied with government policies.  They also have functional capabilities, such as mobilizing anti-Japan activities.  Several years ago, the Strong Nation Forum issued this broad invitation: "The United Nations Secretary-General Annan has clearly expressed his support for Japan to become a permanent member of the Security Council.  We invite compatriots to sign on to protest ... even if you won't sign, you can pass along this message and do your bit."

As a result of the current Diaoyutai incident, there have been repeated calls to boycott Japanese goods.  In 2005, there were anti-Japan demonstrations in Shenzhen, Beijing and other places.  Recently, there were anti-Japanese activities in Chengdu, Xian, Mianyang and other cities.  All these activities showed the impact of the Internet.  In Hong Kong, even though Internet mobilization has matured especially with the July 1st marches over the years, there has been no active use of the Internet to organize anti-Japan demonstrations.  Hong Kong netizens are proud of their highly civilized manners at demonstrations and they regularly regard anti-Japan demonstrations as unruly and uncivilized, causing more negativity than positivity: "Those from Hong Kong and Taiwan who want to defend the Diaoyutai Islets are patriots too.  Have the mainlanders considered what are the effects of their demonstrations?  Will their loud noises make the Japanese government abandon sovereign rights over the Diaoyutai Islets?  They ought to come up with better ways.  Nationalism is not extremism!"

There are many reasons why Hong Kong netizens are cool towards anti-Japan nationalism.  Many people think that the Hong Kong Internet is monopolized by pan-democrats and therefore lack nationalistic sentiments, but this is wrong.  On the contrary, the Hong Kong pan-democrat netizens are the ones who are saying that China is inadequately defending the Diaoyutai Islets.

Hong Kong netizens have not resorted to rabid anti-Japanese nationalism over the Diaoyutai Islets because regular Hong Kong citizens have deeper understand of the Japanese position than mainland netizens other than individual intellectuals.  For example, when Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi went to pay his respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, opposition came from the top leaders down to regular netizens in China.  At the Strong Nation Forum, many mainland netizens think that the tribute was to Class A war criminals like Hideki Tojo out of religious reasons.  But many moderate anti-Japan Hong Kong netizens believed that this type of tribute was just "normal activity" for the Japanese and they did not impute any political significance: "I am not defending Japan.  In truth, it was is easy to understand why people would pay respect to the souls of war heroes.  Whether or not they are Class A war criminals is not the issue.  The only issue is the social status of Junichiro Koizumi.  If he were an ordinary citizen, everybody can accept his act.  Right or not?  If so, then why are we still arguing over this endlessly?"

Japan is Hong Kong's third largest trading partner after China and the United States.  Conversely, Hong Kong is Japan's ninth largest trading partner.  Being anti-Japan is trendy in mainland China and some mainlanders repel Japanese culture (interestingly, they become more amenable to South Korean idols).  Hong Kong and Japan have intensive financial and trade ties.  Since the 1970's, Japanese culture has formed organic ties with the home-grown Hong Kong culture.  Japanese films, idols, music, television shows and games are part of the local Hong Kong identity.  Even during the the Defend Diaoyutai Movement in Hong Kong in the 1970's, the Hong Kong people were not really opposing Japan; instead, they were seeking affirmation of their own Hong Kong identity.

Interestingly enough, this is also a time when Japan trend is booming in Hong Kong.  The co-existence of anti-Japan politics and pro-Japan culture makes Hong Kong people cognizant of the de-linking of politics from economic and cultural issues.  So when mainland netizens call to boycott Japanese goods, that is incomprehensible here in Hong Kong.  Hong Kong people find it incredible that mainland anti-Japan sentiments can reach out against movie stars like Zhao Wei and Zhang Ziyi.

On October 11, there was a trade offer entitled <In order to protest my problems in finding a good job, I am willing to sell my Peking University diploma for one yuan> at the Ganji website to trading used goods.

According to the seller, he entered Peking University as the top student from his province in 1999.  He graduated in 2003.  His work career has been sputtering along since.  For example, a so-so company made him an offer of 1,500 RMB per month, even less than that for a migrant laborer.  On the first week at work, he had to clean the offices and restrooms because that was supposed to prepare his attitude.

The seller said: "After all, I graduated from the top university in China.  Nowadays Peking University graduates don't mean much!"  He said that in order to protest against society, he made the decision to "sell his Peking University diploma for one yuan."

Very quickly this post became popular at various websites such as MOP, 55BBS, Netease, Sina.com and so on.  Many netizens were perplexed at why a elite university graduate could not find a decent job.  One netizen said that when a Peking University graduate could not get a job, it only shows that he is not very good and it does not reflect on his school.  Another netizen said that it is not unusual because a Peking University diploma does not guarantee a job as a high-paying manager.  Still other netizens are skeptical about the authenticity of the offer.

Our reporter tried to contact the seller and got no reply. Our reporter contacted director Chen at the Peking University Career Counseling Center.  He said that he has read the post.  At first he suspected that the post was fabricated.  But based upon the information in the post, he investigated and determined that the documents were genuine.  "But the content is false.  The graduation diplomas belonged to an Advertising Major in the class of 2003.  This graduate is living a comfortable life; his pay is good, he has a house and a car.  He had no problems with his job.  The setbacks in the story were fabricated."

Director Chen said: "The principal was unaware of what happened.  When I called him and told him, he was shocked and angry.  He did not think that someone would exploit him this way.  According to him, he lost his diploma when he moved.  Someone got it and made up this story."

According to a fellow student, the principal has smooth sailing in his career.  Because he was such an excellent student in school, he was hired by the Ogilvy and Mather advertising company after graduation.  He then went to become client service manager at the J.W. Thompson advertising company.  He also managed brands at Baidu.  He recently joined the Ganji Group where his annual salary is several hundred thousand yuan per annum.

According to an informed source, the post was made by a Ganji Group publicist who wanted to get some publicity for the company.  Yesterday morning, the Ganji team including the principal went to Peking University to offer their apologies.

Our reporter tried to contact the individual, but there was no contact.  Our reporter contacted the Ganji Group.  A worker said that this was not a promotional gimmick and they are trying to figure out how this came about.  When asked why the diploma belonged to one of their employees, this workers said that they don't know.  "We are very angry too.  This morning, the bosses called a meeting for everyone to discuss.  It is a blow to Ganji to have this false information involving a company employee's diploma.  We are not running any promotion gimmick.  What company would use its own employee to hype something up?"

This worker added that people need to provide copies of their diplomas when looking for a job.  "My colleague is trying to remember whom he had sent copies of his diploma to.  We cannot exclude the possibility that this was an act of some competitor of ours."

When the reporter asked whether Ganji can determine from their system who posted the information, the worker said that he was not sure but the whole thing is being investigated.

Ever since the public restrooms became free of charge in Wuhan city, the traffic in the Sanzhen town public restroom increased by 1.5 times.  However, there was also an increased tendency for male users to "spray" erroneously across wide areas during urination.  This obviously affected the conditions.  70% of the restroom janitors are female, who could not be "observing" and "correcting" this sort of male behavior.

What is to be done?

According to the public restroom manager Han Shoubin, the solution was to put a fake fly right over the urinal.  This fake fly is the same size as a real fly, and is stuck on the war with adhesive.  When the men urinate, they stare right at a fly and therefore they tend to stand still.  This measure has resulted in much less accidental "sparying" in the public restrooms today.

An expert in this field commented: "The Qiaokou district urban administrators have turned a psychological research result from the social sciences into a productive use.  This is seemingly trivial, but it indicates progress in urban management theory and innovation in harmonious governance.  This is the first instance in China."

On October 13, a microblog post was making the rounds as the most sensationalistic post of the day: "According to information, all the people and houses in a certain village over at Qinling have disappeared.  Someone said that there were several flying objects with flashing lights circling over the village.  After a while, the objects left along with the people and houses.  The army is investigating there.  All information is sealed off."

Our reporter rushed over to Hanyang to investigate.  The truth was that the unidentified flying objects were the searchlights from the Yintai Plaza in Hanyang city.

The reporter also checked the local Internet forums and found out that the rumor began innocently enough.  At 15:37 on October 11, the netizen "Zhang Lixing" wrote simply :"The strange incident at Qinling."  This simple sentence became the basis of everything that happened afterwards.  At 17:18 on October 12, the netizen "NDSWJ" wrote a microblog post: "A blog post entitled 'the strange incident at Qinling' has continued to be forwarded this morning!"  At 01:30 on October 13, the netizen "Spectral treaty signing" wrote at the Baidu form: "According to information, an entire village has vanished.  The army has interceded.  According to information, someone saw several unidentified flying objects flying by at the time."

By October 13 morning, this type of information was going around like crazy at the forums, Douban, the microblogs, etc.  The explanations came up by netizens included: wild man, UFO nuclear radiation, snakes, hornets, giant salamanders, extraterrestrial beings, etc.  Often, a netizen would receive the information, embellish it with more details and forward it to others.  This caused the story to become more detailed and complex as time went on.

<The Monologue Of A Survivor Of The End Of The World> Liu Xiaobo, published by China Times Publishing House (Taiwan)

In September 1989, the Chinese government arranged an interview in which I told about what I personally witnessed and went through on Tiananmen Square on the early morning of June 4, 1989.  At the time, I was still mentally in a stage where I wanted to hold on and refuse to plead guilty.  Therefore, the decision to do that interview was made only after considerable mental anguish.  I knew clearly that nobody died when Tiananmen Square was cleared.  But the purpose of this interview would not be clarify the facts, which will only be exploited as the tools and methods of the government's political goals.  If I did that interview, I would be a willing government tool and thus suffer bad social impact.  At the time, the whole world believed that the martial-law troops had carried out a massacre right on Tiananmen Square.  Some June 4th participants who became overseas exiles were trying to establish heroic images for themselves and therefore they distorted the facts, they lied and they exaggerated the blood flowing like rivers on Tiananmen Square (Wuer Kaixi, Chai Ling, Li Lu and others were all like that).  So if I showed up on television and said that I did not see anyone die, I would be angering the whole world and that would be dreadful for my public image.  Since I was determined not to yield, I turned down the interview request flat out.  Firstly, this refusal will be a sign that I won't cooperate with the government.  Secondly, this will increase the glory of my martyrdom.  But, to keep silent on the facts of history is like lying.

Based upon considering the political consequences as well as my personal image, I turned down the offers by the interrogators twice.  But they showed me the <People's Daily> interview with Hou Dejian about how Tiananmen Square was cleared.  They said: "The facts will always be the facts.  If you didn't see anyone getting killed, if you didn't see blood flowing like rivers, then why don't you dare to clarify the facts and tell the truth?  Do you have so many considerations before telling the truth?  That is not in the character of Liu Xiaobo.  Besides, we have been praising the four of you for organizing the peaceful evacuation.  Telling the truth won't harm anyone."

The interrogators convinced me.  I found reasons to do the interview.

1. It was a fact that I witnessed no deaths during the evacuation of the square.  It is my responsibility to history as well as myself to tell the facts.  I detest most of all for the Chinese people distorting the facts in order to set up a good reputation.  In facing a choice between getting a moral reputation and respecting the facts, Wuer Kaixi chose a moral reputation and gave up on the facts.  In a certain sense, especially so in this movement, it required courage to choose to respect the facts.  Therefore, even though this interview could damage my moral reputation, I would rather do it than distort the facts.  I believe that I will be cleared in history some day.

2. Hou Dejian has already told the facts about the clearing of the square.  He was subjected to tremendous public opinion pressure.  The blindness and passion of the people were drowning out the sincere voice of Hou Dejian.  If telling the facts ends up bearing the condemnation of the whole world, then I as an eyewitness must not let Hou Dejian bear that burden alone.  If I maintain my silence, I will only strengthen the blind trust in the lies and the condemnations of Hou Dejian by the world.  Me and Hou Dejian were both eyewitnesses to the clearing of the square.  If Hou Dejian said nobody died whereas I maintained silence, this proves that Hou Dejian was perjuring himself on behalf of the government in order to save himself.  I would be pushing Hou Dejian to the front stage to take up all the responsibilities and condemnations.  If I testified, I can enhance the credibility of the facts.  I and Hou Dejian can share the unfair condemnations and dispel the bad social influence -- the public anger that was inflamed by lies.

3. The government showed that nobody died on Tiananmen Square during the evacuation.  But this did not mean that nobody died in Beijing.  It is ironclad that gun were fired and people died.  That will not be changed because nobody died on Tiananmen Square.  Besides, the students (and not the government) ought to be praised when a massacre was avoided on Tiananmen Square because the students withdrew peacefully.  Therefore, telling the facts is not relieving the government of their responsibility.  If the students did not withdraw peacefully and fought back like the people in Liubukou, Muchi and elsewhere, there would definitely deaths on Tiananmen Square with the possibility of a massacre.

Based upon these reasons, I agreed to be interviewed by official television for more than 40 minutes.  I described the evacuation on the square factually.  But on the way back to Qincheng prison after the interview, I was not calm.  Instead, I was grim because of the damage this interview might do to me.  But without the frankness of Hou Dejian and his willingness to tell the facts regardless of the consequences and political impact, I might have chosen to remain silent, or even lie, in order to maintain my public image and reputation.  This reminded me of Hans Christian Andersen's <The Emperor's New Clothes>.  Those experienced adults lied with their eyes open but only the naive child can state the facts pointedly.  Hou Dejian is that little child, but he could not be tolerated in a world of lies.  This was not just the sorrow of the Chinese people, but the various media from other countries deepened the sorrow.  Certain irresponsible overseas exiles misled the world media for personal reasons and the media misled the public.  Once the lies enter the hearts and minds, they become ironclad facts.

Therefore up to now, I am very unperturbed and satisfied by my decision to explain what happened on the square on official television.  In making that decision, I pushed aside all considerations of my public image and I acted responsibly towards history, friends and myself.  What caused me uneasiness was the fact that I had refused to be interviewed twice because of I was only calculating my personal utility.  In like manner, when I wrote <The Repentance Document> after I got out of jail, I regret it very much afterwards.  At that time, I was just fighting back against the pessimism over my bleak future and not out of a persistence to give everything for my belief and conscience.  Otherwise I would not have written <The Repentance Document> at a time when the bloodshed was gradually fading away in memory.

(Xinhua)  Big mistake to award Nobel Peace Prize to noncontributor to peace: Norwegian professor  October 13, 2010.

It is a big mistake to grant this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo as the Chinese receiver made no contribution to peace or conflict reduction, a Norwegian professor said Tuesday.

"Liu Xiaobo has, as far as I know, never contributed in any conflict-reducing activity or take part in peace-related activities," Professor Arnulf Kolstad of Norwegian University of Science and Technology told Xinhua. "I therefore cannot see that the peace prize winner fulfills the most important criteria in Nobel's testament. Therefore it is a mistake," added the professor of social psychology and China expert.

...

The Nobel Committee "wants to promote Western values all over the world even if the way it is done is not very relevant and even contradictory to the purpose," said Kolstad. The professor explicitly rejected the Norwegian body's argument that Liu's struggle for human rights, especially the freedom of speech, and a Western parliamentary democratic system in China is a prerequisite to world peace.

Many countries that have long followed the Western political system, such as the United States, Britain and Norway, have been among the most aggressive military powers in the last 50 years, occupying and starting wars in others countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, he noted.

Ironically, Kolstad said, many in the West still believe that their system is the best in the world and has to be exported to all other countries, "in some countries by force and wars, and in other countries by supporting those who are believed to represent these values and ideas."  "To state that parliamentary democracy and freedom of speech is a guarantee for peace and end of armed aggression is a mistake," he said.

Commenting on the Nobel Committee's claim that it is independent of political influence, the professor said: "There is definitely relationship to the official political system in Norway." He noted that the committee leader is also a former Norwegian prime minister and president of the parliament.

China has made remarkable progress in human rights, such as plugging starvation, curbing crimes and promoting food safety, which are "important not only for a developing and still poor country like China, but for developed countries as well," Kolstad said. "In this way, the Western world can learn human rights from China," he added.

Meanwhile, China carries a "relational" culture where people seek relationships and harmony and are less inclined to stay out as independent and autonomous human beings than those in Western societies, Kolstad said. It is also simply unfair to label China as an undemocratic country, he stressed, explaining that China adopts "another kind of relationship between those in power and the people."

"The parliamentary system with more parties is not the only way to give people influence on political decisions and the future of their country. We have to accept that other countries choose other political and democratic solutions, based on their culture and level of development," he said. "I do not know if it is more democratic to have a system where presidential candidates have to be extremely rich to run for presidency," he added.

Lurking underneath the West's uneasiness and faultfinding with China, Kolstad pointed out, is that many in the West do not like to see a big and in many way successful country like China having another political system, based on other cultural values than is accepted in the West.

"I look at China as a peaceful, not aggressive country compared with most developed countries in the world. China does not take part in wars, it tries to solve international problems with dialogue," he said. "I therefore think it is unfair to give a Peace Prize to the opposition and dissidents in China instead of giving it to the president, as in the U.S."

(Boxun)  Norwegian Professor Arnulf Kolstad condemns Hu Jintao for rumor mongering after Liu Xiaobo got the Nobel Prize

[The original article had been purged from the Boxun website, but it can still be found in the Google cache by searching for "Boxun"+"Kolstad."  The screen capture is provided above.  The translation is provided below.]

Norwegian Professor Arnulf Kolstad condemns Hu Jintao for rumor mongering after Liu Xiaobo got the Nobel Prize/New York news commentator
(Boxun dateline Beijing time 2010.10.15 -- support this report's author/reporter)
Boxun editor note: A reader claims that the professor is denying that there was any fabrication -- that remains to be verified

On October 14, the Chinese Communist Xinhua agency published <Even Norwegians can't stand it, criticism of Nobel Prize Committee> in which it was alleged: "Norwegian University of Science and Technology Arnulf Kolstad was interviewed by the Xinhua reporter on October 12.  He severely criticized the Nobel Committee for awarding the Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, saying that it was a 'huge mistake.'  'The Nobel Committee had ulterior motives' because they wanted to promote western values and political systems inside China" etc.

After Professor Arnulf Kolstad learned about this, he immediately issued a statement in the capital of Norway: "This is sheer fabrication.  This is Goebbels tactics re-appearing.  Hu Jintao is trying to use a Norwegian to discredit the Nobel Prize.  His contemptible goal will never be accomplished.  I completely agree with the Nobel Committee awarding the Peace Prize this year to Chinese dissident Professor Liu Xiaobo.  I wish the people of China will rid themselves of the Communist Party dictatorship and get their liberation and freedom soon." 

Professor Arnulf Kostad scorned Hu Jintao for being so crude in his rumor mongering techniques.  He said: "Look at the sayings that Hu Jintao attributed to me.  They are only sayings that someone who has lived in China since childhood and who has been trained by the Communist Party can say.  Nobody in Norway talks like that.  This is too ridiculous and risible.  If Hu Jintao is willing, I can be his professor and tell him how Norwegians compose their sentences."

(Radio France International)  Norwegian professor exposes Xinhua for rumor mongering.  October 15, 2010

According to Boxun's New York-based news commentator, when Professor Kolstad heard about the Xinhua report and immediately issued a statement from the capital of Norway: "This is sheer fabrication.  This is Goebbels tactics re-appearing."  He said that it was disgusting that someone should be using a Norwegian to discredit the Nobel Peace Prize.  Professor Kolstad said that he completely agrees with the Nobel Committee awarding the Peace Prize this year to Chinese democracy activist Liu Xiaobo.  He wishes the people of China get their freedom soon.

(Voice of America)  Did the Norwegian Reporter criticize the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Liu Xiaobo?  October 17, 2010.

Recently Xinhua published a report entitled <Big mistake to award Nobel Peace Prize to noncontributor to peace: Norwegian professor>.  It claimed that when interviewed by the Xinhua reporter on October 12, Norwegian University of Science and Technology professor Arnulf Kolstad said that it was a huge mistake for the Nobel Committee to award the Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo this year.  "The Nobel Committee has ulterior motives" because they wanted to promote western values and political systems inside China."  The English-language Xinhua website also published this report.

But a small number of overseas websites claimed on October 15 and 6 that "When Professor Kolstad learned about the Xinhua report, he immediately issued a statement from the capital of Oslo: 'This is sheer fabrication.  This is Goebbels tactics re-appearing."  He said that it was disgusting that someone should be using a Norwegian to discredit the Nobel Peace Prize.  Professor Kolstad said that he completely agrees with the Nobel Committee awarding the Peace Prize this year to Chinese democracy activist Liu Xiaobo.  He wishes the people of China get their freedom soon.'

Did Norwegian University of Science and Technology psychology professor Arnulf Kolstad came out to deny the Xinhua report?  Our reporter followed up and was neither able to locate the source of the report nor verify it.  Our reporter has sent an email to Professor Kolstad to ask for an interview.  But as of the deadline, there was no reply yet from Professor Kolstad.

(Deutsche Welle)  Chinese official media deliberately highlight "opposition against Liu Xiaobo receiving prize" opinions.  October 17, 2010.

In order to clarify matters, Deutsche Welle interviewed Kolstad by telephone on October 17.  Kolstad said that he was interviewed by a Chinese reporter.  He has also read the English-language Xinhua report and he did not think that there was anything unusual about the quotations of his views.  Also, he did not issue any statement condemning Xinhua for rumor mongering.  He knew nothing about that.  Kolstad emphasized that he has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Nobel Peace Prize many times in interviews with Norwegian and foreign media.  The Deutsche Welle reporter noticed that on the day when the Nobel Peace Prize was announced (October 8), a Norwegian media outlet published an interview with Kostad, in which he said more or less the same thing as in that Xinhua interview.

[ESWN comment: 

What lessons can be derived from this fiasco?

First of all, the whole thing started with an anonymous unsourced report at the overseas Chinese website Boxun.  Whenever you see a sensationalistic exclusive story from Boxun, red lights should be flashing and sirens should be screaming.  Boxun does not have a good track record.  Once upon a time, they broke the SARS story in 2003.  They have been living off that reputation since.  Here are a couple of examples picked up from this website: The First Avian Flu Case In Beijing and The Case of Li Changqing.  In this specific case, it was weird that the report had Kolstad invoking Hu Jintao -- that should have been a telltale sign.  Given his position and responsiblities, Hu Jintao will not micro-manage a propaganda campaign directed against one dissident.  If Hu was involved in this kind of thing all the time, China would have fallen apart a long time ago.

Secondly,  please notice the media outlets who are busily chasing this non-existent story: Radio France International, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle.  Nobody else cares, not the western commercial media and not the Chinese blogs/forums.  It is good to know that state-funded media are irrelevant to real people everywhere (inside and outside China).]

Recently in Xushui county, Hebei province, the urban management department asked all of the several hundred stores to change to uniform store front advertisment banners.  Some shops were reluctant because it would cost several thousand yuan.  "Many of the stores have just gotten new banners.  There should not be a uniform requirement to change."  Many shop operators also wondered why a law enforcement agency ought to participate in the design and financing of advertisements.

At 1am on October 12, 2010, Xushui urban management department workers marched through town with long poles with which they used to vandalize all store front banners.  So now the stores are going to have to replace the banners!

On October 13, the Forbidden Palace Museum director Zheng Xinmiao spoke at a cultural forum osted by People's Daily.  During the interview, Zheng answered many questions from the reporters.

To the question, "The Forbidden Palace is a landmark of Chinese culture.  Several years ago, the presence of Starbucks inside the Forbidden Palace was highly controversial.  What is your view?"  For the first time, director Zheng provided a public statement.

Zheng Xinmiao said: "With respect to the Starbucks issue, I personally view that people link their knowledge and image of the Forbidden with our culture, dignity and history.  At the time, people demanded Starbucks be ousted.  A People's Congress delegate from Heilongjiang province made a recommendation to do that.  But the Palace Museum did not make a direct response.  Personally, the most significant reason was that before I took up this job, Starbucks was already year.  Also I don't think that we can go around saying that we are proud that the Louvre Museum in Paris has a Chinese teahouse on one hand but we need to get Starbucks out of the Forbidden Palace on the other hand.  Starbucks is a place to serve the public's needs.  Starbucks is also a well-established brand."

He recalled: "After people started talking about the issue, the former director called me.  He said, 'You must note that this is narrow nationalism.'  At the time, he was very clear in his message.  The Forbidden Palace did not response formally.  A short while later, the Starbucks manager in charge of the Beijing area wrote me a letter to say that they wanted to pull out.  He said, 'We seemed to have become the sinner who destroyed a Chinese cultural heritage.'  He said, 'I am a very simple businessman, but we want to pull out.  We want to find a suitable moment that people can find acceptable to pull out'."

Zheng Xinmiao said, "Last year ... or it may be the year before last ... I don't recall exactly ... a newspaper called us in June and asked, 'You said that the result will come out in July.  Where is it?'  At the time, we were re-organizing the Forbidden Palace.  We were re-arranging the various business outlets.  We spoke to Starbucks and they said that they don't want to conduct business there anymore."

Zheng Xinmiao said, "As we look at this in retrospect, this is about the attitude of a grand nation and the tolerance of the Chinese civilization.  I think everybody has thought about this matter.  I think that even if I don't speak out, everybody will already have more complete, more rational and calmer views.  Our nation is developing and our people are experiencing a rebirth.  But I feel that we need to be more tactful on dealing with certain matters.  I had asked the cadre at our French embassy to check out the business operations at the Louvre Museum in Paris.  They have all sorts of businesses there, including a Chinese teahouse.  This is about the self-confidence of our people.  The Chinese people have such a long tradition.  So can a small coffeehouse knock us out?  I don't think so.  Although the matter is history already, we may look back and think about it in a more rational manner."

 

As seen on the surveillance videotape, a motorcycle came to the intersection at a high speed.  Suddenly a small truck showed up at the intersection to make a turn.  There was a heavy collision between the two vehicles.  The back gate of the truck popped open, while the front of the motorcycle was almost completely demolished.

But something astonishing can also be seen.  When the collision occurred, the motorcyclist was bounced into the air and his momentum propelled him forward high in the air.  But the motorcyclist made a full 360 degree somersault and landed on his feet safely.  Then the motorcyclist touched his shirt, as if he was upset that the somersault had ruffled his clothes.  Then he slowly and calmly sauntered up to the wreck that was his motorcycle and shook his head in sadness.

According to the Wenzhou police, the motorcyclist left the scene of the accident before the police arrived.  The motorcycle is unregistered.  If the owner does not show up, the motorcycle will be confiscated.

This video was posted at the various Wenzhou Internet forums.  Netizens applauded the amazing feat of the motorcyclist, whom they have dubbed "Brother Gymnast."  They said that the difficulty of this somersault was 9.9, comparable to Olympic gymnasts.

(South China Morning Post)  Barry Sautman and Yan Hairong   October 12, 2010.

In non-peace related fields, there are Nobel Prizes and, somewhat less famously, "Ig Nobel Prizes". A group of scientists presents the latter annually, as a joke, but also to make a point about undeserving activity in their fields. One of the winners of this year's Nobel prize for physics had, several years back, also received an Ig Nobel prize.

The award of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned dissident Liu Xiaobo is being celebrated globally, mainly by elites who claim to know what Liu is about. They say he is for human rights and democracy, but there is more to it than that, because much of what he is about is ignoble.

When people living in authoritarian societies demand freedom of speech, they usually do so with goals in mind that go beyond just allowing everyone to have a say. Liu's political and social goals have scarcely been mentioned in the current wave of adulation, yet these goals are distinctly at variance with the interests of the vast majority of Chinese, as they perceive them.

What a few people in China know about Liu, but hardly any outsiders do, is his prescription for China's development, first made when Liu was already in his 30s. In 1988, an interviewer asked him what condition China needed to have real historical change.

He answered that China needed to have 300 years of colonisation. Liu attributed what Hong Kong is today to 100 years of colonisation, so China would need 300 years of colonisation for it to become like Hong Kong.

That was more than two decades ago but, in 2007, Liu stated that he did not want to take back what he had said in 1988, because it reflected a belief he retained. He attributed progress in China to Westernisation and said the more that Westernisation existed in the various spheres of Chinese society, the more progress was attained.

He is either woefully ignorant of the nature of colonialism, which involved legally mandated racial discrimination and the colonisers' political and economic monopolies, or Liu finds it a congenial alternative because he is convinced of Western superiority. This can hardly be expected to be a sentiment shared by most Chinese.

In his 2007 statement, Liu claimed that, in the economic sphere, progress could be chalked up to privatisation. Not surprisingly then, Charter 08, a statement he mainly authored and that called for a Western-style political system in China, also urges a "free market" transfer of state-owned enterprises to private ownership and the privatisation of land ownership.

Privatisation in Russia resulted in a colossal robbery of public wealth by a few oligarchs. To the extent privatisation has occurred in China, it has mainly enriched former officials and has often worsened the conditions of labour. An agrarian capitalism based on landed property would have no assured benefit, but might bring back the execrable system of landlords and landless peasants. Further privatisation would probably increase the already high level of inequality in China, which is why surveys show that most Chinese oppose it.

Many observers recognise that the Nobel Peace Prize is a political prize, and a morally bankrupt one at that: do something that accords with mainstream Western elite thinking about what "advances peace", and you may get a prize. Continue, for as long as you can, a war that kills thousands or even millions of civilians, as Henry Kissinger did in Indochina and Barack Obama is doing in Afghanistan, and you may still get a prize. If you attack China, the perceived potential rival of the West's hegemon, as the Dalai Lama and Liu have done, your chances for a prize increase.

The Chinese government has argued that the spirit of the Nobel Peace Prize has been infringed by awarding it to one who is imprisoned for violating Chinese law. That, however, is beside the point. There was no need to imprison Liu and there has been no need for a binary choice between shutting him up by fiat or treating him as a hero. Rather, there has only been a need to bring to light Liu's self-proclaimed goals. If most Chinese, especially the non-elite majority, knew about his prescribed path for China, they would turn away from him as someone with things ignoble on offer.

The world has many political prisoners; most are in fact imprisoned in countries with governments that continue to receive all manner of assistance from other countries that proclaim themselves beacons of human rights and democracy. Among those myriads languishing in prison, most want something far better for the peoples of their country than does Liu and are far worthier of an award because of it.

[Barry Sautman is a political scientist and lawyer at Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Yan Hairong is an anthropologist at Hong Kong Polytechnic University ]

Related Link: “Liu Xiaobo Deserves an Ig Nobel Peace Prize” – the latest reaction to buzz the West  Hidden Harmonies blog

There is another blog post being circulated around the Chinese-language Internet (mostly on overseas websites).  The post is Nobel Politics by Steven Lendman and is critical of Liu Xiaobo.  More interestingly, the Chinese-language report on this post identifies the author Steven Lendman as a CNN vice-president.

(ChnMilitary.com)

美国有线网络（CNN）副总裁兰德曼Stephen Lendman近日在个人博客撰文批评挪威诺贝尔评奖委员会将2010诺贝尔和平奖授予中国异见人士刘晓波，称诺贝尔评奖委员会（以下简称诺委会），是臭名昭著的西方工具，它的和平授奖和其他奖项促进的是不被全球所共享的价值观。

[translation: The American online website CNN vice-president Stephen Lendman recently wrote an article critical of the Nobel Committee's award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.  He said that the Nobel Peace Prize Committee is a notorious western tool and the Nobel Peace Prize and other awards were not intended to promote values that are shared across the world.]

A CNN logo is even included:

This Steven Lendman's biography as posted on his blog is: "I was born in 1934 in Boston, MA, raised in a modest middle income family, attended public schools, received a Harvard BA in 1956 and a Wharton MBA in 1960. After six years as a marketing research analyst, became part of a new small family business in 1967, remaining there until retiring in 1999. Have since devoted my time to progressive causes, extensive reading, and since summer 2005 writing on vital world and national topics, including war and peace, American imperialism, corporate dominance, political persecutions, and a range of other social, economic and political issues. In early 2007, began regular radio hosting, now The Progressive Radio News Hour on The Progressive Radio Network. Full information above."

(CNN)

A woman celebrating the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident has been charged with assault for accidentally splashing champagne on a security guard outside the Chinese central government's liaison office in Hong Kong.

"The officer walked up as I was opening a bottle of champagne and he was splashed," said Ip Ho-yee, 22. "It was a minor incident. I never guessed that opening a bottle of champagne would lead to this."

The security guard was not injured, but he made a complaint, so Ip was arrested and charged with common assault, said Hong Kong police spokesman Lawrence Li.

Here is the moment captured on video:

 

Here is Kobe Bryant being assaulted with champagne after winning the 2010 NBA Championship.  Someone call the police!

What is so important about moving this rock?  What has this to do with the prosperity of the people?  In Chinese, there is a saying: 时来运转 ("when the moment comes, your luck will change").  In Chinese, the word 时 ("moment") sounds the same as 石 ("rock").  So moving the rock means 石来运转 ("when the rock comes, your luck will change").  Of course, it is not as simple as just moving a rock.  The county consulted many fengshui masters to pick the right moment and the right location.  For example, the location was chosen to be the exit point of the county because the people have been leaving the place to make their fortunes elsewhere but now the rock obstacle will make sure that they stay and contribute to the economy.  There were also incense burning, firecrackers, etc all along the nine-kilometer journey of the rock.

It was also claimed that the county mayor made a kowtow every third step while walking 99 meters to greet the rock.

Wen Jiabao, China's Great Hero    By Zhong Xiaojun.

Premier Wen Jiabao is a great hero for the Chinese people.  He is a true man of today.  For more than a month during this grim autumn, Wen Jiabao has shown unmatched courage to bring up the issue of political reform.  On September 23, he was interviewed on CNN and he brought out these "earth-shaking" statements: "The desire and need of the people for democracy and freedom are unstoppable" and "No party, organization or persons have the privilege to bypass the constitution and the law.  We must all act in accordance with the constitution.  I believe that this is an important characteristic in contemporary political systems.  Let me summarize my political ideas in four sentences: let the people live happily with dignity; let the people feel safe and assured; let society be filled with justice; let people be confident about the future."  "Although there are various kinds of ideas in society and although there exists various kinds of obstacles, I will firmly and immovably carry out my ideas to the best of my ability.  I will increase the pace of political reform.  I want to use two phrases to express my determination: 'Wind and rain will be no obstacle, no rest until I die'."  "The people and the power of the people will determine the future and the history of the nation.  The hope and will of the people will not stop.  Those who abide by it will flourish, those who oppose it will perish!"

The "cry" of Wen Jiabao represent the conscience of the government and the hope of the people.  It reflects the unyielding will of the people and the call of social progress.  It has gained a firm echo within every Chinese person.

[...]

A small number of people do not understand high-level politics.  They accuse the virtually isolated Premier of being "all show and no action."  They don't understand that Wen Jiabao is just one person out of nine (note: in the Politburo).  One vote out of nine votes is insignificant.  His decisions are only made in the economic realm.  He cannot eliminate the system of labor reform or release some prisoner or the other.  Besides, when politicians talk, they are already doing things.  A call to social mobilization is more powerful and valuable than doing one or two specific things.

Some people accuse Wen Jiabao of just trying to salvage the existing system.  In his speeches, he often used concepts such as "socialism" without mentioning universal values such as "independence of the judiciary" and "freedom of press."  This kind of view is very naive.  Wen Jiabao lives inside the system.  If he wants to push for social progress and he completely rejects the language of the system (actually, real socialism isn't so bad), he would have lost his job a long time ago.  How would he get the chance to serve the people?  Today, the populists and the leftist extremists are attacking him for being a capitalist roader.  He is being attacked from both sides.  Therefore, Wen Jiabao's unique sayings reflect his political wisdom.

Other people say that supporting Wen Jiabao is a case of naivete, in which the slaves say that their owner is wise and benevolent.  Actually, in a civic society, government officials should be criticized as well as praised.  Of course, everything should be premised on equality.  China does not need wise and benevolent rulers, but we should be welcoming politicians with modern ideas and the sense of civic responsibility.

Of course, we want to support Premier Wen Jiabao in fulfilling his ambitious goals -- "to carry out the political reforms" and "to let fairness and justice be even more brilliant than the sun."

Perhaps Wen Jiabao is the least powerful government official in China and many people are happy to see him being so beleaguered.  But the majority of the Chinese people will support the people's hero -- Premier Wen!

 

Those who actually bothered to search on the Internet will most likely find these articles that were translated here over the years.  Here is a partial list:

If Policemen Are Posted Outside My Door ...  September 2, 2005

Me and the Internet  February 24, 2006

The Fortieth Anniversary of the Cultural Revolution  May 12, 2006

The Chinese Angry Young People Who Are Poisoned By Nationalism  September 21, 2007

The news reports and commentaries referred to the document Charter 08.  The document is a group project and not the work of Liu Xiaobo alone.  Some reports point out that Charter 08 had jumped from the initial 300 or so signatories to 10,000 (or some such number), as if this is a sign of success.  I should like to point out to two articles that were posted here way back then.

How Charter 08 Is Being Received  January 11, 2009

Charter 08 In Postmodernist China  January 28, 2009

On January 20, 2009, Rebecca MacKinnon wrote: What does Charter 08 mean? Too soon to tell...   Well, this is more than 20 months later now.  Until the Nobel Peace Prize was announced, Charter 08 was dead in the water.  Will the Prize provide a new impetus?  Will freedom and democracy be on the march now?  Well, I suggest that unless Charter 08 (or any other message) can connect with many people in other social strata, it will remain a mental exercise among "public intellectuals."

The other piece of Liu Xiaobo writing that is constantly being referred to (as in translated Sima Nan's essay below) is a December 1998 Open Magazine interview.  It was published 22 years ago, but people still use Liu's words against him.  Here are the excerpts that are being cited:

Q. You are traveling all over the world right now.  Do you intend to return to China?
A. I don't want to go back at the moment.  But I cannot guarantee that there won't be any changes in the future.

Q. A Chinese writer said that it is hard to come up with results after leaving your county and your people.  Do you agree?
A. They are setting up a backup plan.  This is a sign of weakness.  Life takes place right underneath your feet.  You are living every minute.  You only need to face your interior world and maintain your feelings, and you will be able to write no matter where you are.

Q. Will you be facing a choice?
A. I have a limitation that I cannot overcome: the language problem.  I cannot use English to express my interior world as well as I can in Chinese.  I may have the ability to express myself in English some day, but I will have no flavor in the language.  Therefore, if I can get by with the language, then I want nothing to do with China.  My greatest sorrow is that I am limited by language, in that I have to speak for China.  I am conversing with something very stupid and vulgar.  This type of conversation can make me worse and worse.

Q. They are bringing out the slogan "March towards the world" for Chinese literature.  But I find that they are resistant against the outside world to a certain extent (especially certain young writers).  In Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, people like Solzhenitsyn and Kundera didn't mind living abroad and they produced good writing.
A. This resistance came about because they are too feeble.  Chinese Literature "marching towards the world" is a fake issue.  Just like the issue of not being able to win the Nobel Prize, the assumption was that Chinese writers are good enough to win the Nobel Prize, but why aren't they winning?  If the Nobel Prize really represents the top in the world, then this assumption is false.  Of course, Nobel Prize writings are not necessary the best.

...

Q. In recent years, Marxism is coming under attack.  Is it declining in China?  Did it lose its value?
A. The only impact that Marx had on me was his uncompromising critical position.  His historical materialism also makes some sense, but some of the other stuff is nonsense.  For example, he analyzed western society as: exploiters and exploited, capitalists and workers.  This is too simple because he couldn't see how the various classes held each other in check.  Strictly speaking, class analysis is no longer applicable in the western world.  Marx's dialectical methodology was applicable only in a totalitarian society.  Marx's Communism was just one phase of the western tradition, from Plato's Utopia to Paradise in the Bible.  From Moore's Utopia to Campanella's City of the Sun to French Utopian socialism.  The nonsense part of Marxism is that it promises that it will all be realized tomorrow: capitalism established all the materialistic conditions for communism to emerge as soon as the revolution takes place.  Marx's ideal is too cheap.

Q. What developmental stage do you think Chinese society is in?
A. It has not yet emerged out of an agrarian society.

Q. Is there any need to take remedial classes in capitalism?
A. It is essential.

Q. So should China follow the usual path for an agrarian society?
A. Yes.  But it has to modify its totalitarian regime because it is looking at a crisis.

Q. Can China make fundamental changes?
A. Impossible.  Even if one or two rulers want to, there is still no way because the conditions are not there.

Q. Under what circumstances can China carry out a genuine historical transformation?
A. Three hundred years of colonialism.  Hong Kong became like this after one hundred years of colonialism.  China is so much larger, so obviously it will take three hundred years of colonialism.  I am still doubtful whether three hundred years of colonialism will be enough to turn China into Hong Kong today.

Q. This is 100% "treason."
A. I will cite one sentence from Marx's Manifesto of the Communist Party: "Workers do not have motherlands.  You cannot take away what they don't have."  I care about neither patriotism nor treason.  If you say that I betray my country, I will go along!  I admit that I am an impious son who dug up his ancestors' graves and I am proud of it.

Q. You are saying that you want China to take Hong Kong's path?
A. But history will not give this opportunity to the Chinese people.  The era of colonialism has gone by.  Nobody is willing to bear the burden known as China.

Q. What can be done?  Isn't this too pessimistic?
A. There is no way out.  I am pessimistic about humankind as a whole.  But my pessimism is not escapism.  I see before me one tragedy after another tragedy.  But I will struggle and I will fight back.  That is the reason why I like Nietzche and I don't like Schopenhauer.

Some people declared this conversation to be a throwaway line that was used ironically.  Since the Chinese people are supposed to have no sense of irony/humor, they just didn't get it.  On December 19, 2006, Liu Xiaobo wrote a "clarification" for Open Magazine.

In November 1988, I had just finished a three-month visit to Oslo University (Norway) and I was heading to University of Hawaii (USA).  I deliberately chose to go through Hong Kong.  It felt great to visit the free port created by colonialsim for the first time!  It felt even better to be interviewed by Mister Jin Zhong!

During the interview, Mr. Jin Zhong posed many straight questions and I replied without holding anything back.  I ended up saying something infuriated many people.

Q. Under what circumstances can China carry out a genuine historical transformation?
A. Three hundred years of colonialism.  Hong Kong became like this after one hundred years of colonialism.  China is so much larger, so obviously it will take three hundred years of colonialism.  I am still doubtful whether three hundred years of colonialism will be enough to turn China into Hong Kong today.

After the June 4th incident, this impromptu statement about "three hundred years of colonization" became the evidence used by the Chinese Communists to persecute me.  Even today, the angry young patriots use it to criticize my "treasonous ideas."  Yet, I will not defend this statement on the grounds that it was a not well-thought-our response during an interview.  At a time when nationalism holds the high point in China today, I really don't want to withdraw that statement.

The Chinese writer who advocated 300 years of colonialism for China has won the Nobel Prize.

All manners of Chinese traitors, big and small, those with traitorous leanings and just busybodies, are congratulating each other and celebrating.  Some are even weeping in joy, as if victory has been achieved.

Here is the hidden version of Nobel Prize Committee's award speech:

This prize is given to you for your vision and perseverance.  Born in Red China in 1956,  you were destined to bring trouble to the Chinese people. 20 years ago, you sent out the strongest voice to the free world to say that "China needs to go through 300 years under colonialism."  You did not hesitate to sell out the interests of your country of birth.  You continued to compile information to attack the Communist regime, regardless of the great progress that China has made.  You were always ready to brave the legal risks to always find new materials to humiliate them. You are a good crusader and a practitioner of universal values. Today, China has acquired the status as the world's second biggest economic power.  You have continued to work for the revaluation of the yuan, which is very important to the interests of the United States of America regime.

1. This event could be foreseen a long time ago.  A while ago, Norway indicated that it was coming under pressure from China.  Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying said that Sino-Norwegian relationship will be severely harmed if the prize was given to the guy who advocated 300 years of colonialism for China.  Norway may be a small country, but they are awesome.  The Nobel Institute's director Geir Lundestad said that the Nobel Prize Committee will not succumb to outside pressure.  For some years, Havel and others who are hostile to China have been working to get this result.  The pressure from the country that noses into everybody else's business was even stronger on Norway this time, but Norway won't say so.

2. Lech Walesa was the first person to initiate changes in Eastern Europe and he was the first to win the Nobel Peace Prize.  Andrei Sakharov was the first dissident to try for a color revolution, and he also won the Nobel Prize.  Sergei Gorbachev caused the Soviet Union to collapse from the inside, and he won the Nobel Prize.  The Dalai Lama did his best to split up China, and he won the Nobel Prize.  Gao Xingjian used language to demonize China in <One Person's Bible> and he won the Nobel Prize.  The wealthy businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer plotted on Xinjiang independence and she was nominated for the Nobel Prize.  The bigoted Elder Auntie Gao is mentally unbalanced and exaggerates the AIDS problem in China, with the number of deaths fluctuating depending her mood at the time, and she was also nominated for the Nobel Prize.  A retired military hospital doctor was interviewed for western media reporters and claimed that countless number of persons died from SARS, and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize ... The picture behind the Nobel Prize should be clear.  If you are absolutely shameless and you can inflict the maximum embarrassment on the targeted nation, you will get a chance to contest for a Nobel prize.

3. One cannot say that the Nobel Prize is pointless.  Each year, this group of people spend so much time, effort and money to do this, so there must be some point.  Superficially, this is about advancing peace among mankind.  But this does not stop the Nobel Committee from giving the prize to a warmonger.  Just as soccer fans sometimes fail to understand the actions of the referees, the people of the world were astonished to watch the shameless sight of a Nobel Peace Prize winner talking about the significance of his prize while "surging" troops into Afghanistan and also selling USD 6.392 billions worth of armaments to Taiwan.  The shame ought to be shared equally by the prize winner and the Nobel Committee.

4. Some people wondered what happens now that the Chinese traitor has won the Nobel Prize.  I can't see anything happening to China.  Even though China was overmatched in the Korean and Vietnam wars, Big Brother did not achieve total victory.  So we can forget about that today.  But we must also make sure that we don't degrade ourselves.  When someone wants to lecture us with "The Nobel Prize reflects universal values, and therefore China must do this or that ..." we must maintain our composure and answer sternly.  We will not break down in tears, pour our hearts out and discuss how we will pursue these so-called universal values.  When the other Nobel Prize winner American president Barack Obama calls for us to release so-and-so, you must have the courage to correct him: "No.  China has an independent judiciary which will not be ordered about by you."  When someone slaps you in the face, insults your motherland and rips up the dignity of your people, you cannot talk nice, be a good student and try to create a good impression.  You need to have some backbone.  You need to be confident about Chinese culture and the political system first, before you hold a dialogue with outsiders.

5. Even today there are still people who wondered when a Chinese person can win a Nobel Prize.  What does it say when the Chinese don't win Nobels?  For some of us who have been subjected to propagandistic bombardment for the last 30 years, the Nobel Prize is positive, sacred and unattainable.  This type of reverse racial discrimination only enhances the legend around the Nobel Prize.  I don't know what happens with Nobel science prizes (which Fang Zhouzi and Xiao Chuanguo can enlighten us on), but by observing what happens with the Nobel Peace Prize and the Literature Prize, I can tell that they are obviously being hostile to the Chinese people again and again.  Twenty years ago, we should have stopped this type of sick talk about the Nobel Prize.  Unfortunately, we didn't do that.  As a result, many of us have forgotten the principles behind the economic opening.  Today when people say that there are no banned zones in thoughts, they have violated the principles.  "The Four Basic Principles" have been discarded as antique junk by them.

6. Our Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu said on October that the Nobel Committee was going against the principles of the Nobel Peace Prize in giving it to that person.  This was an insult to the Nobel Peace Prize.  That comment was correct and timely.  But Ma Zhaoxu ought to have parsed the question that was posed to him: "You say that the Nobel Committee has given the Peace Prize to the 'dissident' so-and-so.  Firstly, this so-and-so is not a 'dissident.'  He is not dissenting anything.  He is just working in cahoots with those anti-China hostile forces inside and outside China.  This is not dissidence.  In Chinese language, this person is a 'Chinese traitor' and 'cultural comprador.'  A Chinese traitor is a Chinese traitor PERIOD  There is no need to use a different term.  Secondly, this person opposes China not just in words but in actions.  His specific acts violated the legal principles within the Constitution of the People's Republic of China.  At this moment, this person is serving time in a Chinese prison.  China is building a nation based upon rule of law.  Our beloved Premier Wen Jiabao has said that "the law is greater than the sky."  Do you want your Nobel Prize to usurp the law?

7. This Nobel story had been told for more than a century, and people believed it for as long -- Mr. Nobel who discovered dynamite had a pang of conscience and donated his estate to set up a Nobel Prize Foundation which has no politics, culture, national boundaries and even values.  But this was just the introduction to the long novel <The Nobel Story>.  Today, the Nobel Prize is supported mainly by the capital funds from the Freemasons in America and Europe -- mainly the Rothschild family.  For this reason, we can understand why the Nobel Prize has deviated from the intentions of its founder, lost any sense of fairness and justice and became the tool of its manipulators.  Simply put, the people who provide the funding dictate the rules of the game.

8. I had said before that a Chinese traitor who has won a prize is still a Chinese traitor.  Something else needs to be said at the same time: A Chinese traitor who didn't win a prize is still a Chinese traitor.  In fact, they are even more dangerous.  The one who won the prize is locked up in prison.  But the Chinese traitors who are still free are stirring up trouble.  They frequently show up in media reports as "public intellectuals" who spread "universal values" etc.  They say "We don't want modernization; we want modernity."  That can be quite fascinating.  For example, Xu Youyu is a "public intellectual" being promoted by <Southern Weekend>.  He worked his heart out for this Chinese traitor to get the Nobel Peace Prize this time.  He wrote letters to the Nobel Committee to suggest that giving the prize to so-and-so will "bury totalitarian rule" and "bury violence."  It is clear what Xu Youyu meant by "totalitarian rule" but his "violence" is definitely not referring to the violent people who are causing bloodshed on a wide scale in Iraq, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia.  Chinese traitors are clear about who they love or hate.  They will lead the ghouls into the village, ransack all the houses one a time ... the loud-voiced, bold-actioned and remorseless Chinese traitors get points for their performances.  From afar, they all have the word "Slave" sewn on the back of their clothes.

At least 8 mainland newspaper (People's Daily, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily at the national level; Beijing Daily, Beijing News, Beijing Times in Beijing; Wen Wei Po in Shanghai) reported on the news of Liu Xiaobo receiving the Nobel Peace Prize by posting the Xinhua Agency statement.  The report has just over 300 words.  Most of the headings were <Foreign Ministry spokesperson: Nobel Committee's giving the Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo is an insult to the Prize>.  The English-language Global Times published the editorial piece 2010 Nobel Peace Prize a disgrace.

Among the television stations, only CCTV reported the affair.

Yesterday a fake <Beijing Youth Daily> page was circulated on the mainland Internet.  In the page, the news about Liu Xiaobo was featured as a headline story.  Netizens commented, "Does <Beijing Youth Daily> want to die?  In truth, <Beijing Youth Daily> did not publish such a page.  It is believed that someone forged that page.

Postscript: It seemed that Xinhua also had another news story where the hatchet job on the Nobel Peace Prize was subcontracted to a Russian news agency.  Well, actually, Anne Applebaum had a much better piece dated 2009.


Apple Daily:
Monument to human rights
Liu Xiaobo receives Nobel Peace Prize


Hong Kong Economic Journal
Liu Xiaobo receives Nobel Peace Prize
China reacts strongly


Ming Pao
In jail for speaking out
Received prize for speaking out


Headline Daily
Liu Xiaobo gets Peace Prize
China indicates that this was against the principles of the prize


Hong Kong Daily News
Liu Xiaobo receives Peace Prize
Foreign Ministry calls it an insult
Beijing recalls ambassador from Norway


Sing Pao
Liu Xiaobo receives Peace Prize
Beijing summons Norwegian ambassador to China in protest


Sing Tao
Liu Xiaobo receives Peace Prize
China protests


The Sun
The imprisoned Liu Xiaobo receives Peace Prize
In praise of non-violent fight for human rights
Foreign Ministry calls it an insult


Oriental Daily
Main story:
Yip Kim-po sentenced to seven years in prison
Former Ocean Grand chairman got $180 million thru fraud
Sister also goes to prison
Top left story:
Wang Guangya takes over Hong Kong-Macau Affairs Office
Top right story:
Liu Xiaobo receives Peace Prize


Wen Wei Po
Wang Guangya takes charge of Hong Kong-Macau Affairs Office


Ta Kung Pao
Former deputy Foreign Minister
Wang Guangya takes charge of Hong Kong-Macau Affairs Office

(New York Times)  The Misadventures of Mario Vargas Llosa   Alan Riding.  June 28, 1998.

As Mario Vargas Llosa was preparing to become the conservative standard-bearer in Peru's 1990 presidential elections, Octavio Paz was not the only literary colleague to warn him that novelists should write novels, that intellectuals should not run for office. But whether out of vanity, patriotism or innocence, he ran for president anyway, persuaded by his aversion for the left and his faith in the market economy that he could save Peru from the poverty, terrorism, corruption, runaway inflation and racism that had made it virtually ungovernable.

By the time he emerged, bruised and defeated, from three years of political combat, he seemed positively relieved that he had lost. He had discovered that the reverse side of political idealism was "maneuvers, intrigues, plots, paranoias, betrayals, a great deal of calculation, no little cynicism and every variety of con game," he writes in his memoir, "A Fish in the Water." He had come to know a country of "hatreds, resentments and prejudices" that fell far short of his dreams for it. And the proof was that it had rejected him.

Three days after conceding to Alberto K. Fujimori, now President of Peru, Mr. Vargas Llosa flew to Paris and returned to a world of letters where he felt more at home. But the pain did not go away. First he had to watch Mr. Fujimori appropriate "my ideas and put my program for governing into practice." Then, in April 1992, Mr. Fujimori closed Congress and seized dictatorial powers, to the applause of many businessmen who had backed Mr. Vargas Llosa's own campaign. Today, 58 years old and in self-imposed exile, he is still rubbing the wounds of his political misadventure.

Of course, even at the darkest moments of the campaign there were those, both friends and foes, who predicted Mr. Vargas Llosa would get a good book out of this. And he has. But it is not, as many expected, a novel about a writer who tries to become president of a country resembling Peru. Rather, with "A Fish in the Water," he has published a fascinating and often bitter memoir in which he alternates chapters about his early years with a blow-by-blow account of his presidential campaign. And it serves as his mea culpa: he explains why the aspiring writer of the 1950's became a politician in the late 1980's and why, in the end, this was a terrible mistake.

...

During his long years in Europe, Peru took on a new form in his novels. But in time, as so often happens with Latin American writers, his fame abroad required him to adopt political positions at home. Having broken with the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba, he deepened the enmity of the left by opposing the populist military regime that seized power in Peru in 1968. When democracy returned in 1980, he turned down President Fernando Belaunde Terry's offer to become Prime Minister. Yet, spending more and more time in Peru, he was gradually being sucked into its political vortex. By the time he finally entered politics, the disastrous state of Peru had become an obsession.

The catalyst was the nationalization of private banks by President Alan Garcia Perez on July 28, 1987. Within one month, Mr. Vargas Llosa was making his first political speech to a crowd that had gathered in Lima's Plaza San Martin to oppose the bank seizure. "The story has it that that night, on seeing on the little TV screen the magnitude of the Meeting for Freedom, Alan Garcia, in a fit of rage, smashed the set to smithereens," Mr. Vargas Llosa writes. More important, that meeting set in motion a conservative pro-business movement to rescue Peru from economic chaos and Shining Path terrorism that looked to the novelist as its natural candidate for the 1990 elections.

Soon, however, he discovered the seamier side of politics. He allied his Freedom Movement to two existing conservative parties, believing he needed their support, but infighting among the parties drove him to distraction. His foes also proved adept at dirty tricks. They sent thugs to disrupt his meetings. When he admitted he was agnostic, they trumpeted that a heathen wanted to govern Roman Catholic Peru. Then there was the campaign itself. He was expected to dive into crowds of slum dwellers, to kiss Indian babies and to dance with market women. "I had to accomplish miracles to conceal my dislike" for this kind of stumping, he says. In truth, he didn't. Tall, white and well dressed, he invariably looked out of place.

Yet, for all this, Mr. Vargas Llosa was the front-runner through most of the campaign. Then, just 10 days before the first round of voting on April 8, 1990, the Fujimori phenomenon struck. The agronomist son of Japanese immigrants, Mr. Fujimori was unknown in political circles, but he succeeded where Mr. Vargas Llosa failed: he presented himself as a truly independent "anti-politics" candidate. And when the first-round results were in, he had 24 percent of the vote, barely 5 points behind Mr. Vargas Llosa. The novelist knew he had lost. Convinced that all other parties would unite against him in the runoff, he was only dissuaded from pulling out by warnings that it might provoke a military coup.

"If the electoral campaign had been a dirty one in the first round, it was now an obscene one," he recalls. To his dismay, his own followers introduced the racial question by arguing that Peru should only be ruled by a "real Peruvian." But "El Chinito," as Mr. Fujimori was nicknamed, turned this to his advantage, saying he belonged to the majority of Peruvians of Indian, African and Asian extraction who had long been dominated by whites like Mr. Vargas Llosa. Religion, too, featured in the campaign, partly because the Catholic Church worried that Protestant fundamentalists were backing Mr. Fujimori, partly because of Mr. Vargas Llosa's agnosticism. But none of this made much difference. When the results were in on June 10, Mr. Fujimori had won 57 percent of the votes against 34 percent for Mr. Vargas Llosa.

"A Fish in the Water," ably translated by Helen Lane, is, of course, Mr. Vargas Llosa's story and not that of Peru. But it is no less interesting for being so. He tells us relatively little about the misery and violence convulsing the country that he aspired to govern. Instead, he describes his own gradual discovery that, in politics, good intentions and good ideas do not suffice. So why did he run for office? "For a moral reason," he says. But, he concedes, his second wife, Patricia, had a different explanation. "It was the adventure, the illusion of living an experience full of excitement and risk," she said, "of writing the great novel in real life."

As for the damage that Alberto Fujimori wrought to Peru, see Wikipedia.

On September 27, the Taiwanese lecturer Jenny Wang was assaulted.  She had been holding classes to provide psychological counseling.  The surveillance video showed that the Tencent vice-president Guo Kaitian leading several men dressed in black into Wang's office.  There were some physical shoving and Wang was assaulted.

According to Jenny Wang, she and her husband Xu Yiming have held psychological counseling classes in Shenzhen for many years.  Guo Kaitian and his wife Chang Bin were students.  At the end of three years of attendance, the marital relationship between Guo and his wife deteriorated, which Guo blamed on the class.  He had brought his crew several times to threaten Wang and Xu.  After the September 27 incident, Wang and Xu flew back to Taiwan and wrote to the Taiwan Affairs Office to demand protection of Taiwanese business people in mainland China.  Yesterday afternoon, Tencent told Southern Metropolis Daily that this was a private matter for Mr. Guo who had procured a lawyer to pursue the matter via legal means.

Yesterday, Xu Yiming and Jenny Wang explained the case via telephone to the SMD reporter.  Xu Yiming said that he and his wife had been operating the Jonathan Culture Company for many years to provide psychological counseling in Shenzhen.  In 2007, Guo Kaitian and his wife signed up.  Guo attended one class and never came back.  But his wife Chang Bin continued to attend until July this year.

"We hope that she could get to know herself and address her problems," Xu Yiming claimed.  Guo and his wife had signed up for the psychological counseling class in order to lessen family conflicts and improve their martial relationship.  Over the 84 classes in the three years, Chang Bin refused to confront her problems.  In class, she insisted that she had a wonderful marital relationship.  On the class of July 31, Chang Bin even brought five sets of evening gowns to show the lecturer and the students.  She also displayed her precious jewelry to show that everything is fine with her marriage.  On that evening at the graduation dinner, the lecturer Xu Yiming gave individual appraisals and recommendations to each student.

"At first, I did not want to be so frank.  But as lecturer, I am obliged to point out these problems to her."  Xu Yiming said that Chang Bin had been excessively dependent on her husband to the point of losing her own ego.  He believed that this was her most serious problem.  At the graduation dinner, Xu Yiming responded to Chang Bin's request for an appraisal plus recommendations by saying: "Your husband is so handsome, rich and influential.  You are quite plain.  You should think about just what it is about you that he loves?"  Xu Yiming said that as soon as he said that, Chang Bin turned hostile.

On the next day, Guo Kaitian brought several men to the home of Xu Yiming in the Futian district.  According to Xu, Guo strongly condemned the psychological counseling course for causing his martial relationship to deteriorate.  Guo slapped Xu several times before leaving.  "If he thinks that I caused his marriage to deteriorate and accuses me, I am willing to accept that responsibility."  Xu Yiming said that professional differences of opinion can be discussed, but resorting to violence will only accentuate the conflict.

But the conflict did not end.  On September 27, the office of Xu Yiming and Jenny Wang was invaded.  According to Jenny Wang, when she arrived at the office, Guo Kaitian and several men dressed in black assaulted her.  The surveillance video showed that at 2:31pm on that day, Guo Kaitian, his wife and several strong and powerful men dressed in black entered the office.  At 3:18pm, Jenny Wang arrived at the office and was assaulted.  One man dressed in black hit Jenny Wang in the head with his hand.  Guo Kaitian and his wife were worked up, but were restrained by others from attacking Wang.  Seven minutes, the group left.  According to Jenny Wang, Guo Kaitian hit her head but that occurred in a blind spot for the surveillance camera.

Here is Jenny Wang's statement:

On September 27, 2010, I was on the way back to the company office.  From about 60 meters away, I saw Tencent Vice-President Guo Kaitian and a group of individuals (nine persons), including some unidentified men 1.8 meters tall entering the office.  Due to the previous incident in Beijing, I was worried.  I called 110 for help, but I could not get through.  I called the Yuanling police station and I told them about the number of men who came and I asked them to send people down because I was afraid.

About 8 minutes later, a company colleague called to say that the police have arrived and I should come back.  I asked: Did the police ask the intruders who they were and what they were up to?  My colleague said: No, but the police are saying since I filed a report, I need to come back.  I thought that I would be safe with the police there, so I went in.  As soon as I stepped through the door, Guo Kaitian hit me in the face.  He kicked my body with his black leather shoes.  He and his wife Chang Bin assaulted me.  Afterwards, I approached the police officer and I said: "Are you doing to let them assault me without doing a thing?"  Guo and his group continued to attack me.  I told the police: "You are going to do nothing."  The policeman made no response.  I asked for everyone to go down to the police station, but they ignored me.  I continued to be insulted and attacked.  I turned on the voice recording on my mobile phone.  But Guo Kaitian and his people spotted me and seized my mobile phone.  The police did nothing and let them assault me.  Chang Bin said that the attack on us in Beijing on September 11 were their doing as well.  She told us that we will be assaulted if we go to Beijing.  And if you are in Shenzhen, they will come and insult and attack us.  The police stood there and listened.  I demanded the police for a medical examination of my injuries.  Then I spotted the group about to leave.  I told the police: "Are you going to let them leave like this?"  The police said: "There is a police car ready to take you down to the station to make a statement."  I said: "I will cooperate."

There was a police car downstairs with two police officers in it.  They took me down to the Yuanling police station to take down my statement.  During the process, I felt my body hurting and I asked for a medical examination.  A policeman said: "Most people come here only if they are bleeding."  I replied: "So I can't come up here unless I am half dead?"

"We were afraid of further incidents, so we left."  Jenny Wang said that she and her husband went back to Taiwan that night.  According the medical report, Jenny Wang suffered a trauma injury on her back as well as an eye injury.

Xu Yiming said that Guo and his wife may not understand the difference between psychological counselors versus non-professionals due to cross-strait cultural differences.  In his view, psychological counseling requires the identification of problems among the students.  However, the students and their relatives consider this to be trouble-making.  Xu did not think that his words and actions were inappropriate.  But for now, he is forced to stop his work on mainland China.

According to the Futian police, the Yuanling police station dispatched a police officer after receiving a report on September 27.  There was a physical confrontation between Ms. Wang and several men.  Because the incident occurred so suddenly, the police could not stop it immediately.  In order to avoid further escalation, the police removed Ms. Wang away from the office.  At this time, the police have asked Ms. Wang to provide an injury report.  The police is investigating the matter.

 

In Hong Kong, a father with two daughters were riding the subway.  An elderly woman came in and promptly sat down on the same row of seats.  The father used his mobile phone to make a video of the elderly woman, uploaded it onto YouTube and criticized her.  But his action drew criticisms from other netizens for being disrespectful towards senior citizens and setting a bad example for his children.

This video was uploaded on this past Sunday and has draw tens of thousands of views since.  At the start of the video, the elderly woman is having a verbal repartee with the father, who criticized her for being rude in taking a seat as soon as she got on.  She said that he, his two daughters and another girl had already taken the seats with no room for anyone else.  However, the elderly woman "leveraged her age," ignored all reasoning and took over a space of her own.

The elderly woman said that the space was enough to seat five persons and there were two young children.  She criticized the father for being disrespectful towards senior citizens and setting a bad example.  The two young girls tried to mediate but the father was oblivious.  He even instructed his daughters to vacate the entire row for that elderly woman.

The father believed that he would gain the support of the netizens when he uploaded this video.  But instead he was shellacked for magnifying a minor matter and being disrespectful towards senior citizens.  One netizen commented: "Not only did he set a bad example for his daughters, but he thought that posting a video that purportedly shows others in a bad light would make himself righteous and justified." 

 

In the bicycle lane in Cheung Kwun O, a man seized the hair of a woman, threw her against the wall and kneed her stomach.  Then he shoved her on the ground and assaulted her.  She begged for mercy but he did not relent.  Spectators yelled at him.  A security guard interceded, and was cursed and kicked.  The whole scene was recorded and uploaded on YouTube under the title <Trashiest Man Of The Century, He Keeps A Mistress And Beats His Wife In Public>.  This video was seen by more than 10,000 person within one day.

According to the police, a 39-year-old man named Chiu assaulted his 37-year-old wife named Wu in Cheung Kwuon O at around 2pm on October 1.  A 39-year-old housing estate security guard named Ng interceded but was wounded by Chiu.  The couple left the scene.  Ng called the police who intercepted Chiu nearby.  Chiu resisted arrested and attacked the police officers.  Chiu was subdued and arrested on suspicion of fighting in public, physical assault and attacking police officers.  Ng, Li and a police officer were received treatment at a hospital.

Yuan Ping, real name Yuan Lei, was born in Yiyang, Hunan in 1981.  He graduated from the Hunan University of Science and Technology Department of Chinese and became a language teacher at the Beijiao Middle School in Xunde, Foshan.  Yuan Ping is regarded as a popular excellent teacher at school.

Yuan Lei likes to write stories in his spare time.  He is fairly well-known at the Tianya Forum under the ID "Tianya Blue Pharmacist."  In July 2009, Yuan Lei began writing the novel <In Dongguan> (also known as <Born in the 1980's -- Sleeping in Dongguan>.  He began posting sections of the work in progress at the Tianya Forum.  The novel was completed four months later.  This online novel had 155 sections containing more then 390,000 words.  Yuan Lei describes the novel this way: "<In Dongguan> is about romance among those born in the 1980's amidst the sauna/sex business in Dongguan.  It is humorous, youthful and realistic.  It shows a secret world that is unknown."

Yuan Lei's novel is carried at the Sina.com, Tianya Forums, etc with a decent readership (more than 2 million hits at Tianya).  More than a dozen publishing houses contacted Yuan Yei to publish the book.  The book passed the first two rounds of censorship, but it has been stuck in the third and last round.  The Tianya Forum webmaster told Yuan Lei to remove certain sensitive words and the new version of <Born in the 1980's -- Sleeping in Dongguan> is now known as <In Dongguan>.

On September 26, 2010, the Dongguan police came to the Beijiao Middle School in Xunde and took Yuan Lei away on suspicion of disseminating pornography.  Yuan Lei was held at the Number Two Detention Center in Dongguan city.  His wife said that "the novel contains no pornography -- it is merely a novel of critical realism."  Although the novel depicts the sauna industry in Dongguan, Yuan Lei had never visited there.  The police believed that the novel has damaged the image of Dongguan because of its wide popularity and they intended to hold the author criminally liable.

According to Yuan Fang, the wife of Yuan Lei, her husband was taken away on the afternoon of September 26, 2010.  She was not unaware because she was in the middle of a meeting.  A school leader raced over to tell her that her husband has been taken away by the police.  She did not think that it was any big deal.  During the meeting, she sent text messages and made calls to her husband but received no answer.

After the meeting, Yuan Fang received a call from the police to go down to the Beijiao police station.  She saw Yuan Lei there, but they were unable to speak to each other.  That night, Yuan Lei was taken to Dongguan.

According to "Spider 1," the Tianya webmaster, "this novel describes city life in Dongguan, revealing the secrets of life at the saunas and night clubs."  The novel is "third-rate, possibly not up to the publication standard, but it is very realistic."  He believes that the prevailing standards should classify the novel as literature and not pornography.  "<In Dongguan> is a work of literature, not a pornographic story.  The novel has erotic elements, but they are expressed in highly literary terms.  In movie terms, this is a Category III movie and not an A (for adult) movie).  If this were pornography, we would have deleted it a long time ago."

Southern Metropolis Daily reached the renowned online writer Murong Xuecun: "It is the most absurd thing in the world to be arrested for writing a novel."  Murong Xuecun said that when he wrote <Chengdu, please forget me tonight>, the Chengdu authorities held a meeting to criticize the novel; when his <Shenzhen to the left, paradise to the right> was published, officials criticized it too.

"The fate of this author should also be my fate."  Murong Xuecun said that his novels also contain many realistic scenes and places.  If the Dongguan police think that the author of <In Dongguan> was involved in the local sex trade, "then I ought to be arrested a long time ago."

Murong Xuecun said that he was perplexed by a paradox.  If the novel is entirely fictional, then there should not be any trouble.  If the novel is realistic, "like me saying that there is a pile of dog feces here but you won't clean it up -- instead the police goes out to arrest the boy who said that the Emperor was not wearing new clothes.  This business is just incredible."  He said that the constitution guarantees that citizens have freedom of expression.

"I call on all the Internet users and intellectuals to pay attention to this case."  Murong Xuecun said that while he has not read <In Dongguan>, he shares the same creative process as that author.  "If he can be arrested, I ought to be next."

At the Tianya Forum, this case has been pushed to the forefront.  <In Dongguan> was the number one search item there.

On the evening of September 29, the China Youth Daily reporter contacted the Guangdong Province Public Security Bureau and the Dongguan City Publicity Department.  They had no comments on the case.  According to local Guangdong media, they were instructed not to report on this case.  But through a microblog post, the Guangdong police indicated that the Dongguan police intends to verify the circumstances and act according to the evidence.

At 11:00pm or so on September 29, Yuan Fang told the China Youth Daily reporter that Yuan Lei just called: "Wifey, I can return home.  Wait for me at home.  I estimate that it will take one or two hours."  At 1:30am on September 30, the Xiaoxiang Chenbao reporter reached Yuan Lei who had returned home and saw his wife and child.

When asked whether he had been released without charge, Yuan Lei said: "I have reached an agreement with Dongguan.  I have promised them not to discuss with the media what happened there.  I don't want to tangle with how the police reached their conclusion about me."

"The Dongguan police treated me well.  Very civilized.  I did not suffer.  I am in good health!"  Yuan Lei asked Xiaoxiang Chenbao to thank the media and the Internet users.  He said that he will be writing more non-controversial things in the the future.

According to lawyer Zhou Ze, the microblog from the Guangdong Province Public Security Bureau showed that the Dongguan police arrested the suspect without first establishing that the novel was an "obscene article."  This was clearly against the procedures.  Zhou Ze said that the police should have established a crime had been committed first before proceeding against the suspect.  In this case, the Dongguan police showed that "they can assume that you are guilty, arrest you and then gather the evidence."

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