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Delegates' gaffes get a thunderous response from internet users

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The nation's lawmakers and political advisers, charged with the task of speaking up for the interests of the people, sometimes end up becoming the target of public mockery and anger for their efforts.

Every year, internet users collect and file quotes they consider bizarre, outrageous or clueless from National People's Congress deputies and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference members.

They call them 'thunderous' comments. Thunder, a literal translation of the Chinese word lei, refers to the level of shock people feel when they hear the quotes.

Official media, such as CCTV, have been informed not to use the word 'thunder' to describe the representatives and their quotes. And, according to some reporters, they have also been instructed not to report news or comments that might be considered thunderous by the public. But other local and online platforms face fewer restrictions, and this year's quotes have gone viral again.

One of those criticised was delegate Wang Ping, the curator of the China Ethnic Museum and a CPPCC member. She was picked on after local media quoted her saying rural Chinese should not be encouraged to go to university.

The comment immediately sparked anger on websites such as Weibo, China's version of Twitter, which attracts more than 25 million new users every month.

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