Morning Clicks | People's Daily calls for the arrest of radical leftist 'traitor beater' [UPDATED]

The Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper responds to public fears of China's far left.

Reading Time:4 minutes

Han Deqiang (L) and his 80-something-year-old verbal opponent

Published: 8:46am, 4 Oct 2012Updated: 12:55pm, 4 Oct 2012

Formally arrested yesterday, the man who nearly killed the driver of a Toyota Corolla on September 15 has been identified by People's Daily and his photo was posted online by one of his arresting officers.

Early Thursday morning, People's Daily delivered another blow against China's far left, who include the newspaper on their list of the country's 'traitor media', when it published an editorial urging for the arrest of Han Deqiang, the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics professor who assaulted a man that approached Han during an anti-Japan demonstration with criticism of Mao Zedong.

Han has stridently defended his assault, which has even been lambasted on CCTV, justifying it by accusing the elder man as a 'race traitor'. Online, a recent increase in the amount of attention paid to Han and his peers, in combination with their radical views, have stoked fears of a resurgence of Cultural Revolution-style politics.

Here's People's Daily's take on Han**:

To him, people who hold different views on certain political topics are all "traitors", and people he sees as "traitors" are to be dealt blows: assaulting "traitors" is worth it, regardless of the legal consequences, and [he] will continue to attack "traitors" on sight, without hesitation. By Han Deqiang's logic, his views on certain political issues are the absolute truth and must be held by everyone; any divergent opinions are "traitor talk" and must be punished through violence. Where is there logic in that?

**The above text was taken from a September 20 Beijing News editorial and used by People's Daily in an October 4 article that was deleted several hours after being published online. Thanks to Joel Martinsen for the tip.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Morning Clicks | People's Daily calls for the arrest of radical leftist 'traitor beater' [UPDATED]

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper responds to public fears of China's far left.

Morning Clicks | People's Daily calls for the arrest of radical leftist 'traitor beater' [UPDATED]

The Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper responds to public fears of China's far left.