Morning Clicks | Mo Yan the censorship fighter
Don't forget there's more to Mo Yan than what propaganda officials and free speech activists would each have you see, say those who know Mo well.
Given all this fierce criticism, I just want to say something about Mo Yan's sense of morality. In two words: kindness and sincerity. And not just for himself. Before the ban on Jia Zhangke's films had been lifted, Mo spoke out personally with harsh words for Zhang Hongsen, deputy head of Sarft's film bureau, saying "Your placement of a ban order on a director like this is nothing less than a crime." I don't know if his words had any effect, but the ban on Jia was lifted soon after that. The director Cui Jianqi and screenwriter Su Xiaowei were both present when Mo [reproached Zhang]. It's rare that I see one of the culturati talk to a "leader" like that.
Morning Clicks
-- China’s export growth accelerated in September The pace of contraction in export to Europe is moderating, however export to developed world remains relatively weak in general.
-- Chillax With Alex Lop’s Reminiscence Of “9 Days In China” We see a lot of “My Beijing/China Trip” videos on YouTube, but most of them are made by people who don’t even try to make them watchable. Here’s one person who did try — with fantastic results.
-- Courts With Chinese Characteristics China's legal system is more formalized and better functioning than many realize. Still, given the Chinese Communist Party's lock on judicial power, the country still has work to do.
-- Politics on Chongqing's Streets I'm not sure what they thought I was – a journalist perhaps? – but they immediately started to voice their opinions, nearly shouting: "We want a multi-party system!" "We want democracy!" "Don't you worry about the police?" I said.