https://www.scmp.com/rss/276911/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jane Cai Jane Cai As the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran continues, Chinese social media is buzzing with condemnations of Washington, expressions of sympathy for Tehran and an outpouring of unsolicited strategic advice. The conflict, which began with the February 28 air strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dominated the list of trending topics on the country’s main platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo and Douyin. Social media is tightly controlled and most of the comments... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347475/chinese-social-media-awash-criticisms-us-it-possible-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347475/chinese-social-media-awash-criticisms-us-it-possible-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Hasan Piker knew his first trip to China would provoke backlash. What he did not expect was how quickly the debate would collapse into a binary: propaganda or patriotism. The live-streamer, and one of the most influential political commentators on the left among young Americans, travelled to China last year and live-streamed his experiences to over 3 million followers across platforms, including Twitch and YouTube. Clips of his visit circulated widely, some carried by Chinese state-linked... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3343845/hasan-piker-talks-about-his-controversial-china-trip-and-thinking-chinese-thoughts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3343845/hasan-piker-talks-about-his-controversial-china-trip-and-thinking-chinese-thoughts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:30:31 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A veteran Chinese investigative journalist has been detained by police in Sichuan province after publishing an article critical of local officials, raising fresh concerns about the abuse of power. On Monday evening, police in Jinjiang district in Sichuan’s capital city of Chengdu issued a notice on social media on the matter. It stated that a person surnamed Liu, 50, and one surnamed Wu, 34, had been “subjected to criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law” on suspicion of lodging... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342245/chinese-journalist-liu-hu-detained-sichuan-after-report-scrutinising-local-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342245/chinese-journalist-liu-hu-detained-sichuan-after-report-scrutinising-local-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:28:15 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China’s ideology chief has again called on propaganda officials to focus on the economy, as the country grapples with a slowdown, high unemployment and weak consumer demand. Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, told a national meeting of publicity department heads in Beijing on Monday that “a good start should be set” for the next five-year plan, state news agency Xinhua reported. The country’s new blueprint for social and economic development has officially begun and runs until... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338882/chinas-ideology-chief-calls-propaganda-officials-focus-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3338882/chinas-ideology-chief-calls-propaganda-officials-focus-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 07:00:11 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Mary Roettger was just one of millions of Americans seeking a social media life raft when she warily logged onto China’s RedNote platform for the first time in January. As fears loomed over a threatened US ban on TikTok, the Florida writer braced for a clumsy, spam-filled experience full of “negative people”. Instead, she was struck by a starkly different culture. Roettger was “blown away with the amount of tenderness and excitement” of the online community suddenly before her. “That was new,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335401/soft-power-hard-work-can-china-harness-social-media-apps-rewire-its-global-image?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335401/soft-power-hard-work-can-china-harness-social-media-apps-rewire-its-global-image?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 03:10:47 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Shanghai has launched a crackdown on online content that talks down the property market, as the sector remains mired in a prolonged downturn and two leading data providers pull back on releasing updated sales figures for China’s top developers. The Shanghai branch of the Cyberspace Administration of China said it had instructed platforms including RedNote and Bilibili – often dubbed China’s answer to Instagram and YouTube – to remove content deemed to be spreading misleading or alarmist... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The vulnerability of safe digital spaces for China’s LGBTQ community has been underscored by the abrupt removal of the country’s two most popular same-sex dating apps – Blued and Finka – from mainland app stores under government orders. The apps, both owned by Hong Kong-based BlueCity Holdings Ltd, were first noticed missing by Chinese social media users last weekend. Apple confirmed the removals in a statement sent to the South China Morning Post on Thursday, explaining that it follows the laws... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332962/chinas-lgbtq-community-loses-key-lifeline-blued-finka-apps-abruptly-vanish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332962/chinas-lgbtq-community-loses-key-lifeline-blued-finka-apps-abruptly-vanish?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 08:00:15 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A recent furore over the future of a popular independent bookstore has shone a fresh spotlight on concerns that the space for public debates and cultural events in China is shrinking. The announcement that the You Xing Bookstore in Chengdu – a venue that had hosted a number of events featuring prominent Chinese and foreign speakers – would shut later this month followed the closure of a number of other bookshops as well as cancelled cultural events and film screenings across the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332045/how-fight-chinese-bookstores-future-heightened-concerns-over-cultural-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332045/how-fight-chinese-bookstores-future-heightened-concerns-over-cultural-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A former Chinese state media editor and vocal supporter of the government has called for greater tolerance for free expression. On Monday, Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of Global Times, a tabloid owned by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, wrote on social media that society “should be as open as possible within the constitutional order under [the Communist Party’s] leadership”. “There should be a collective consensus respecting individual rights on the Chinese internet,” Hu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328973/former-state-media-editor-warns-against-collective-silence-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328973/former-state-media-editor-warns-against-collective-silence-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:14:37 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen When the horror film Together reached Chinese cinemas in mid-September, a scene featuring a same-sex wedding did not survive intact: one of the two men’s faces was digitally altered to turn him into a woman. Although film censorship is nothing new in China, this incident triggered a fierce backlash and calls for a boycott – both for the attempts to erase LGBTQ identity and allegations that artificial intelligence had been used to make the change. Although the distributors delayed the release of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328117/ai-censorship-horror-film-together-raises-new-fears-future-chinese-lgbtq-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328117/ai-censorship-horror-film-together-raises-new-fears-future-chinese-lgbtq-film?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei As China settles into its “golden week” National Day holiday, the country’s cyber watchdogs are hard at work scouring the internet for negative sentiment, and handing out harsh penalties or imposing bans on influential online figures and social media platforms. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Monday that the latest round of its “Clean Net” campaign aimed to “crack down on malicious incitement of negative emotions” and “create a more civilised and rational online... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327678/why-china-targeting-negative-emotions-its-latest-online-clean-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327678/why-china-targeting-negative-emotions-its-latest-online-clean-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang The operator of China’s second-most popular short video app, Kuaishou Technology, and microblogging platform Weibo came under scrutiny from the nation’s top internet regulator for allegedly “damaging the online ecosystem” due to lax content control. Kuaishou and Weibo had failed to manage content effectively, allowing celebrity gossip to infiltrate their trending topics, according to two notices published on the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)’s WeChat public account on Saturday. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326376/china-warns-kuaishou-weibo-over-celebrity-gossip-amid-crackdown-online-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326376/china-warns-kuaishou-weibo-over-celebrity-gossip-amid-crackdown-online-content?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:00:17 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The Chinese social media platform Weibo has shut down several accounts for “inciting gender antagonism” and vowed to continue cracking down on such behaviour. On Monday, the social media site announced via its official account that it had permanently closed an account named “Lilian Shuodao” for “continuously stigmatising the opposite sex and posting extreme anti-marriage remarks”. The term “opposite sex” referred to men. As of Tuesday, the banned account, which had 129,000 followers, was no... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3322407/chinas-weibo-shuts-down-social-media-accounts-inciting-gender-antagonism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3322407/chinas-weibo-shuts-down-social-media-accounts-inciting-gender-antagonism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:15:38 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A provincial authority in China has lashed out at online stand-up comedy shows, accusing some of attacking men and “stirring up gender antagonism”. In its notice on Sunday, the Zhejiang provincial publicity department did not refer to any specific content but its comments come as a number of performances by women comedians addressing gender-related topics have gained popularity in recent weeks. The shows provide a unique space for discussing social issues, including problems faced by women, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319097/chinese-officials-accuse-popular-online-stand-shows-stirring-gender-antagonism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319097/chinese-officials-accuse-popular-online-stand-shows-stirring-gender-antagonism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 06:04:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China has officially introduced a controversial national cyber ID system, despite concerns from some experts and netizens over privacy and censorship. The system aims to “protect the security of citizens’ identity information”, according to regulations that went into effect on Tuesday, backed by the Ministry of Public Security, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and four other authorities. The app, whose beta version was launched last year, issues an encrypted virtual ID composed of random... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3318302/china-rolls-out-voluntary-cyber-id-system-amid-concerns-over-privacy-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3318302/china-rolls-out-voluntary-cyber-id-system-amid-concerns-over-privacy-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:30:11 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Over the past month, one of the biggest hit streaming shows globally has been a fictional drama about a young man who plots revenge after his family is murdered. The made-in-China historical fantasy is the latest major production to showcase the growing international influence of one of the country’s fastest growing cultural exports – storytelling. In the week after its May 18 debut, Legend of Zang Hai topped multiple overseas rankings in 15 regions, including the No 1 spot on Disney+ in Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/culture/article/3316205/palace-intrigue-conquers-global-screens-are-c-dramas-chinas-new-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/article/3316205/palace-intrigue-conquers-global-screens-are-c-dramas-chinas-new-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 22:00:14 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng ByteDance has parted ways with a senior executive who oversaw content moderation and data labelling for its China-focused apps, according to sources and media reports, as the Beijing-based company advances content security amid Beijing’s strict censorship requirements. Li Tong, who led the Content Quality and Data Service (CQC) team under Douyin Group, was no longer listed in ByteDance’s internal employee system, according to people familiar with the matter. Douyin, one of ByteDance’s core... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313681/bytedances-china-head-content-quality-leaves-amid-stricter-censorship-requirements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313681/bytedances-china-head-content-quality-leaves-amid-stricter-censorship-requirements?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s southernmost province of Hainan is piloting a programme to grant select corporate users broad access to the global internet, a rare move in a country known for having some of the world’s most restrictive online censorship, as the island seeks to transform itself into a global free-trade port. Employees of companies registered and operating in Hainan can apply for the “Global Connect” mobile service through the Hainan International Data Comprehensive Service Centre (HIDCSC), according to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313224/chinas-hainan-offers-global-internet-access-some-boost-free-trade-port-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313224/chinas-hainan-offers-global-internet-access-some-boost-free-trade-port-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Two US lawmakers, including the chairman of a hawkish congressional committee, are raising concerns about the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts’ decision to host the National Ballet of China, accusing the dance company of being a tool of China’s “political machinery”. They are urging the cultural institution to reconsider its ties with the Chinese ballet company. Representatives Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, and John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296875/us-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-chinese-national-ballet-performance-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296875/us-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-chinese-national-ballet-performance-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 05:25:18 +0000 With Donald Trump back in the Oval Office, TikTok is back online for American users. One intriguing aspect of the TikTok ban saga is that hundreds of thousands of users in the US have migrated to RedNote, the Mandarin-based social media app known as Xiaohongshu in China. For many of these young Americans, gleefully self-styled as TikTok refugees, it was their first direct interaction with mainland Chinese people. This contact is revealing important facts about the state of our world, in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295538/us-and-china-should-follow-lead-their-youth-bonding-rednote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295538/us-and-china-should-follow-lead-their-youth-bonding-rednote?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 21:30:09 +0000 The influx of American “TikTok refugees” onto the Chinese social media app RedNote may feed into some of Beijing’s main talking points, but could also pose a challenge for China’s censors. As of Thursday afternoon, the topic “TikTok refugee” attracted more than 800 million views and 14.7 million discussions as new users, mostly with IP addresses in the United States, started posting on the app. This week RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, or “little red book”, was the most downloaded free... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295079/why-rednotes-influx-us-tiktok-refugees-could-be-double-edged-sword-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295079/why-rednotes-influx-us-tiktok-refugees-could-be-double-edged-sword-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 12:33:06 +0000 Chinese cadres have been urged to properly manage public opinion online to respond to outcries and ensure social stability. In a social media post on Friday, the publicity branch of the Communist Party in Zhejiang province said “an extreme minority” of officials had been ignoring views expressed online and were instead censoring criticism. “Some cadres avoid solving problems in reality and rely on ‘control’ by cyberspace authorities,” the post said, warning that this would lead to more serious... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3293342/chinese-officials-urged-not-ignore-public-opinion-and-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3293342/chinese-officials-urged-not-ignore-public-opinion-and-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 10:33:58 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan China’s former gymnastics champion Wu Liufang, who caused controversy for releasing provocative dances and whose Douyin account was suspended briefly in November, has been banned again. Wu, 30, received a gag order and was suspended from using the platform, China’s version of TikTok, on December 24 for violating its rules and policies. It is not clear how long the latest ban will last. Her fan base has shrunk from 7 million to 44,000 because the social media platform deemed that 6 million users... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3292324/ex-china-gymnast-suffers-second-social-media-ban-over-sexy-dance-routines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3292324/ex-china-gymnast-suffers-second-social-media-ban-over-sexy-dance-routines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 10:00:10 +0000 This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. Some feats of moviemaking are so insane they have to be applauded, if not exactly understood. For many, David Mitchell’s 2004 novel Cloud Atlas, a 544-page metafiction epic spanning thousands of years and almost as many genres, would be the definition of unfilmable. But for writer-directors Lana and Andy (later Lilly) Wachowski, who created The Matrix,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3292329/how-movie-cloud-atlas-sank-us-soared-china-despite-co-producers-brutal-edit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3292329/how-movie-cloud-atlas-sank-us-soared-china-despite-co-producers-brutal-edit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2024 20:15:07 +0000 Beijing is stepping up its defence of classic literature against AI misuse that it says could undermine and endanger China’s leading ideology. The Chinese government says AI’s “peculiar adaptations” from classic television dramas based on Chinese literature are “highly deceptive”. Like memes, these edited video clips are made largely for laughs and social media traction, and highlight Beijing’s challenges in regulating artificial intelligence. The National Radio and Television Administration... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3290820/ai-crackdown-china-stamps-out-tech-misuse-preserve-national-literature-and-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3290820/ai-crackdown-china-stamps-out-tech-misuse-preserve-national-literature-and-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2024 04:00:14 +0000 The man accused of stabbing a Japanese boy on the way to school in Shenzhen this week has a criminal record and no steady employment, according to police who have released more information about the suspect than is usual in similar cases in China. The suspect, a 44-year-old man surnamed Zhong, was reportedly detained by Dongguan police in 2015 for damaging public telecommunications facilities and released on bail, the state-owned Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported on Friday. The report said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3279346/man-accused-stabbing-japanese-boy-jobless-criminal-record-says-media-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3279346/man-accused-stabbing-japanese-boy-jobless-criminal-record-says-media-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2024 11:00:19 +0000 American rapper Kanye West is set to perform in Haikou city, capital of the Chinese island Hainan province on Sunday, September 15, 2024. More than 30,000 tickets were sold out in seconds on Chinese ticketing platforms. Some netizens are expressing shock that the controversial artist has been allowed to perform despite China’s tight censorship while others are surprised he chose Haikou as his performance location. But his unusual choice of location might be just what the government wants. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3278395/kanye-wests-upcoming-china-concert-draws-sarcastic-rebukes-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3278395/kanye-wests-upcoming-china-concert-draws-sarcastic-rebukes-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2024 09:37:29 +0000 Rock ’n’ roll, pop music and the internet are Western vices that can be used to sow the seeds of “colour revolution” among Chinese youth, according to China’s latest college textbook on national security. The textbook, which was officially launched last week, represents the latest move from Beijing to strengthen ideological control and promote national security among young Chinese. The book, National Security Education Readier for College Students, will be used in the foundational course on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3277076/rock-n-roll-internet-are-potential-western-colour-revolution-traps-chinese-textbook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3277076/rock-n-roll-internet-are-potential-western-colour-revolution-traps-chinese-textbook?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 05:00:39 +0000 Zhou Xin Zhou Xin In a proposed regulation published online for public solicitation last month, China’s Ministry of Public Security and the Cyberspace Administration outlined in a 16-article document plans for an national identification system that would authenticate the country’s netizens on all internet platforms. But there are worrying signs that public feedback is going unheeded. In accordance with Chinese law, the proposed regulation was published to solicit feedback from the public as a necessary step... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3274158/chinas-censorship-voices-critical-proposed-cyberspace-id-sets-worrying-precedent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3274158/chinas-censorship-voices-critical-proposed-cyberspace-id-sets-worrying-precedent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2024 23:00:11 +0000 A prominent Chinese law professor has been silenced on social media after she complained of being attacked online over her vocal objection to plans for a national cybersecurity ID system. The Weibo account of criminal law academic Lao Dongyan from Tsinghua University in Beijing has been muted because she “violated relevant rules” according to a notice on her front page. The ban is understood to be in effect for 90 days. Weibo has also forbidden users from following Lao’s account, giving the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3273657/china-mutes-law-professor-social-media-after-cybersecurity-id-plan-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3273657/china-mutes-law-professor-social-media-after-cybersecurity-id-plan-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:00:14 +0000 More than 50 widely used apps in mainland China – including platforms operated by Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance – are taking part in beta tests for the country’s proposed cyber identity authentication system. The Ministry of Public Security and the Cyberspace Administration of China last month published the draft regulation for “National Cyber ID Authentication”, as more than 50 apps recently started accepting virtual IDs created under this system for user account... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3272779/chinas-leading-apps-including-wechat-and-taobao-test-proposed-national-cyber-id-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3272779/chinas-leading-apps-including-wechat-and-taobao-test-proposed-national-cyber-id-system?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:00:14 +0000 China’s internet watchdog has named and shamed certain agents who were caught offering local access to ChatGPT, as US provider OpenAI blocked use of its artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and other local authorities have meted out punishments to several website operators during the first half of this year for offering unauthorised access to generative AI (GenAI) services, such as ChatGPT, on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3271751/china-names-and-shames-agents-offering-unauthorised-access-chatgpt-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3271751/china-names-and-shames-agents-offering-unauthorised-access-chatgpt-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:30:11 +0000 Washington needs to fund censorship circumvention tools for Chinese people while also helping them come to the US to study, a bipartisan panel of lawmakers was told on Tuesday. Testifying before the House select committee on China, Xiao Qiang, founder of the UC Berkeley-based China Digital Times, a bilingual media organisation, advocated for congressional funding to develop new circumvention technologies and decentralised artificial intelligence tools to help Chinese people overcome Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3271618/us-should-fund-ways-help-chinese-get-around-great-firewall-lawmakers-hear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3271618/us-should-fund-ways-help-chinese-get-around-great-firewall-lawmakers-hear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 20:38:37 +0000 Last October, I had the honour and pleasure of participating in the Frankfurt Book Fair, since my memoir, “Socialism Is Great!”: A Worker’s Memoir of the New China, had just come out in Germany. As I wandered from one Chinese publisher’s exhibition stand to another, images of President Xi Jinping’s smiling face followed me. Quite a few publishers were promoting his political thoughts, with books such as Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. Almost exactly 11 years ago, during his first year of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3270095/tell-chinas-story-well-its-writers-must-be-free-enough-do-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3270095/tell-chinas-story-well-its-writers-must-be-free-enough-do-so?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Four Chinese government departments have issued regulations to crack down on cyber violence from its earliest stages, after victims in a number of cases took their own lives. China’s top internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), published regulations aimed at tackling cyberbullying on its website on Friday. The regulations, which were jointly issued by the CAC and the Ministry of Public Security, the National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Culture... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3267211/china-cracks-down-seeds-cyberbullying-after-suicides-linked-online-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3267211/china-cracks-down-seeds-cyberbullying-after-suicides-linked-online-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:00:14 +0000 For the past few months, it has looked as though there may be something of a spring thaw in the US-China relationship. Chinese diplomats have lauded the San Francisco vision, referencing the meeting last November between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which aimed to set guardrails on strategic competition and rebuild ties at the highest level. Xi called for 50,000 American students to come to China in the next five years, sending China’s educational bureaucracy into a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266661/mixed-messages-undermine-us-china-rebuilding-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266661/mixed-messages-undermine-us-china-rebuilding-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2024 01:30:09 +0000 The United States on Monday condemned prison sentences given to women’s rights activist Sophia Huang Xueqin and labour rights activist Wang Jianbing in China and urged Beijing to release both activists immediately. The sentences demonstrate China’s “continued efforts to intimidate and silence civil society”, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. Supporters said Huang has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of incitement to subvert state authority, almost... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3266988/us-calls-immediate-release-chinese-rights-activists-held-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3266988/us-calls-immediate-release-chinese-rights-activists-held-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 18:18:35 +0000 When Zhou Hongyi, co-founder of Chinese cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360, shared his ambitions to be an online influencer, he named a role model whose behaviour on social media has garnered praise and derision alike – Tesla CEO Elon Musk. “Billions of people across the world know what he wants to do [after] he posts a tweet – this is the new way of communication in the influencer era,” Zhou said in February on Weibo – itself the Chinese equivalent of Musk’s platform X, rebranded from Twitter in one... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3266680/chinas-ceos-join-social-media-learn-how-win-followers-and-influence-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3266680/chinas-ceos-join-social-media-learn-how-win-followers-and-influence-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 01:30:18 +0000 China would not tolerate online “smearing” of businesses, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece said in a column, after the internet watchdog shut down a number of social media accounts over dissemination of false and misleading information concerning companies and entrepreneurs. The online attacks on companies, many of which are privately owned, would eventually endanger employment and people’s livelihood, the People’s Daily said on Sunday, in reference to a crackdown on social media accounts by the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3266155/china-hits-out-keyboard-warriors-closes-accounts-rectify-chaos-smearing-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3266155/china-hits-out-keyboard-warriors-closes-accounts-rectify-chaos-smearing-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2024 14:00:10 +0000 The United States has raised “deep concerns” over the disappearance of Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist who was expected to be released from prison on Monday. Zhang, a former lawyer, was arrested in May 2020, about a year after she began reporting on Covid-19 from Wuhan, the epicentre of the initial coronavirus outbreak in China, where she live-streamed scenes of hospitals and the local pandemic response. She was charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – a catch-all charge... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263117/us-raises-deep-concerns-over-disappearance-chinese-citizen-journalist-who-reported-covid-19-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3263117/us-raises-deep-concerns-over-disappearance-chinese-citizen-journalist-who-reported-covid-19-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 May 2024 11:00:58 +0000 Popular e-book piracy site Z-Library pledged not to restrict access to users in mainland China after a message from a local group raised concerns among people in the country who rely on access to one of the largest repositories of illicit literature. “We promise you that we will not restrict mainland Chinese users from visiting our website,” the Z-Library maintainers said in a statement posted to its official Telegram channel on Monday. “All books remain available to Chinese users.” The words of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3261169/pirate-e-book-site-z-library-hit-chinas-great-firewall-bilibili-account-closed-after-rumours-curbed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3261169/pirate-e-book-site-z-library-hit-chinas-great-firewall-bilibili-account-closed-after-rumours-curbed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 09:00:16 +0000 April 20 is remembered in China for marking a milestone in the nation’s development: It was on this day in 1994 that the country officially connected to the internet through a 64 kilobit special line, thanks to the service of Sprint, a US telecoms company. To commemorate the event’s 30th anniversary and celebrate China’s achievements since then, the state-backed internet society hosted a symposium over the weekend. China has good reasons to pat itself on the back for embracing the web. The rise... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3259923/how-internet-has-transformed-china-past-30-years-and-vice-versa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3259923/how-internet-has-transformed-china-past-30-years-and-vice-versa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Apr 2024 23:00:14 +0000 Apple has removed two of Meta Platforms’ popular apps, messaging service WhatsApp and social network Threads, from its mainland China App Store as part of the US technology giant’s efforts to comply with the country’s tightened internet regulations. All traces of WhatsApp – the world’s most popular messaging app, with more than 2 billion monthly active users in 2023 – and Threads, which has soared in popularity on the mainland since its launch last July, are now gone from the domestic App Store,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259631/apple-pulls-social-media-giant-metas-whatsapp-and-threads-services-china-app-store-amid-countrys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259631/apple-pulls-social-media-giant-metas-whatsapp-and-threads-services-china-app-store-amid-countrys?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2024 09:00:20 +0000 A huge spike in online piracy of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem on the day of its release in China, where the streaming service and its original shows are not officially available, reflects an intense interest in the country to see how the US streamer is handling the best known piece of Chinese science fiction globally, similar to a piracy surge after the release of Disney’s live-action Mulan in 2020. The number of downloads of BitTorrent files, a type of peer-to-peer file sharing, associated with the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3256602/3-body-problem-piracy-spikes-china-reflecting-intense-interest-hollywood-films-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3256602/3-body-problem-piracy-spikes-china-reflecting-intense-interest-hollywood-films-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:30:22 +0000 The novel Red Sorghum is a personal favourite. A paean to the defiant spirits of the Chinese people, it was penned by Guan Moye – also known as Mo Yan – the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012. Narrating both the triumphs and tribulations of ordinary Chinese people, it tells a captivating story in magical realist tones. Through the lenses of a Shandong family, the reader comes to appreciate five decades of history – from the Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s and the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255807/how-ultranationalists-undercut-chinas-efforts-win-worlds-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255807/how-ultranationalists-undercut-chinas-efforts-win-worlds-love?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 01:30:16 +0000 Reporters with Chinese state media were forcibly removed by local authorities from a deadly blast scene near Beijing, raising rare controversy over the country’s press restrictions. A journalist with state broadcaster CCTV was interrupted while reporting live from the scene on Wednesday following an explosion in the northern province of Hebei near the Chinese capital. The reporter was seen surrounded by several police officers in uniform who blocked the camera and shouted about potential danger... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3255364/chinese-state-media-reporters-blocked-deadly-blast-site-near-beijing-raising-rare-controversy-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3255364/chinese-state-media-reporters-blocked-deadly-blast-site-near-beijing-raising-rare-controversy-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 08:01:09 +0000 The “two sessions”, the annual meetings of China’s top legislative and political advisory bodies, concluded on Monday without the much-anticipated press conference hosted by the country’s premier, discontinuing a customary practice that was established in the early 1990s. According to the official explanation, the press conference at the close of this year’s National People’s Congress (NPC) was cancelled because there was already sufficient information from lawmakers, ministers and policy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254965/why-i-miss-chinese-premiers-annual-press-conference-close-countrys-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254965/why-i-miss-chinese-premiers-annual-press-conference-close-countrys-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2024 23:00:14 +0000 The decision-making body of the Chinese legislature has pledged to this year advance revision of its defence education law, which mandates public awareness and education in support of the military. Zhao Leji, the chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), delivered the committee work report on Friday during the annual meeting of the congress. He highlighted the revision of the National Defence Education Law as one of the legislative tasks of the year, with the aim of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3254694/two-sessions-2024-chinas-revision-defence-education-law-aimed-promoting-patriotism-and-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3254694/two-sessions-2024-chinas-revision-defence-education-law-aimed-promoting-patriotism-and-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:00:34 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s video gaming regulator has approved 111 new titles in February, including the highly-anticipated Black Myth: Wukong, giving the industry another confidence boost after a stock rout in December. The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), the government body in charge of licensing video games in China, published its latest list of newly approved domestic titles on Tuesday, after giving the green light to 115 Chinese titles in January and 32 imported games earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3253423/highly-anticipated-black-myth-wukong-among-chinas-latest-batch-approved-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3253423/highly-anticipated-black-myth-wukong-among-chinas-latest-batch-approved-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Feb 2024 23:00:11 +0000 It is so difficult for foreigners to make payments in China that the State Council had to create a special policy guideline to address the problem. As the Post reported, Premier Li Qiang put the issue on the agenda in his latest cabinet meeting on Friday, as part of Beijing’s latest efforts to restore investor confidence. The problem can be fixed by technical improvements. In fact, major mobile payment service providers in China, including Ant Group and Tencent Holdings, have already taken steps... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3253237/china-should-beware-cost-creating-digital-gap-rest-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3253237/china-should-beware-cost-creating-digital-gap-rest-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Feb 2024 23:00:36 +0000