Charles Xue Biqun admits Weibo fuelled ego, state media reports
State media carries confession by Charles Xue in apparent effort to boost case for crackdown on internet celebrities and online rumour-mongering
Chinese-American investor Charles Xue Biqun, a popular commentator who was detained last month on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes, has offered to work with authorities in their internet crackdown to help secure his release, state media reported.
Xue's pledge was carried across state media yesterday in what appeared to be the latest attempt by Beijing to justify its campaign against internet rumours and "Big V" - or "verified" - online celebrities who can command millions of followers.
Xue - known as Xue Manzi to his 12 million followers on Sina Weibo - told Beijing police that he had made mistakes with his online postings, and held himself out as an example of the need to regulate the internet, according to a Xinhua report. The report featured prominently on major news portals on the mainland yesterday.
Xue told police in a Beijing detention centre that online influence had fuelled his ego, adding that he had misled internet users on various incidents.
"I once felt like an emperor reviewing the documents when replying or forwarding online posts. I got so carried away that my vanity ballooned," the article quoted Xue as saying. "I overlooked the social responsibility of being a Big V, and brought about an undesirable outcome [for society]," Xue said, referring to his "irresponsible" republishing of unsubstantiated weibo posts.
"The internet is a virtual reality, but it needs order; a mature cyberspace needs law to keep it in check," Xue said.
Video: Charles Xue Biqun's statement to police
