https://www.scmp.com/rss/330817/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Chinese foriegn ministry on Tuesday denounced the head of the World Health Organization for making “irresponsible” remarks after he said the country’s zero-Covid policies were unsustainable. “We hope the relevant individual will make objective and reasonable views of China’s epidemic protocol and policy and try to get a better understanding of the facts and refrain from making irresponsible remarks,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular briefing in Beijing. China is facing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3177294/chinas-internet-censors-target-who-chiefs-comments-covid-19-zero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3177294/chinas-internet-censors-target-who-chiefs-comments-covid-19-zero?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2022 06:04:37 +0000 A research team in China claims to have developed a text censor that can filter “harmful information” on the internet with unprecedented accuracy using artificial intelligence. Traditional machine censors rely mainly on keywords to do this and struggle to achieve 70 per cent accuracy, while AI technology – which needs to be trained by humans – has taken that to about 80 per cent in recent years. The team from Shenyang Ligong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences say their AI technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3129414/chinese-researchers-say-theyve-developed-ai-text-censor-91-cent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3129414/chinese-researchers-say-theyve-developed-ai-text-censor-91-cent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Apr 2021 22:00:13 +0000 Former British consul general to Hong Kong, Caroline Wilson, has seemingly fallen foul of Beijing’s control over what can and cannot be said (“China summons British ambassador over her ‘inappropriate’ article”, March 10). It is an unfortunate situation as Dame Caroline is a person who sees the best in all, regardless of political policy or party loyalty. When she took up the position as Her Majesty’s ambassador to China, she commented that she would bring “a mature, positive UK-China... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3125465/british-ambassador-china-staying-true-her-word?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3125465/british-ambassador-china-staying-true-her-word?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Mar 2021 08:00:12 +0000 The cancellation of Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil for the first time in 30 years has upset political exiles, the event’s organizers and faithful participants who say the gathering to remember the bloody 1989 crackdown in Beijing risks being permanently scrubbed from the calendar. Honoring lost lives with white flowers, lit candles, evocative songs and speeches has long been part of the annual vigil at the city’s Victoria Park – the only large-scale public gathering on Chinese soil to... https://www.scmp.com/politics/tiananmen-vigil-has-been-banned-hongkongers-aim-keep-flame-alive/article/3087364?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/tiananmen-vigil-has-been-banned-hongkongers-aim-keep-flame-alive/article/3087364?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:14:48 +0000 July 21, 2019 remains seared into Hongkongers’ memories for the shocking images and videos of white-shirted men, some suspected to be gangsters, beating protesters and train passengers with sticks in the Yuen Long railway station. Over the border in mainland China, the date evokes a memory of a different scenario: black-clad protesters converging on Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong and defacing the national emblem of the People’s Republic of China. Until that day, Chinese media had been... https://www.scmp.com/society/tracking-cat-and-mouse-game-social-media-censorship-modern-china/article/3042408?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/tracking-cat-and-mouse-game-social-media-censorship-modern-china/article/3042408?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2019 11:07:15 +0000 As various places across China have erected their own so-called social credit schemes, some people have already faced some harsh consequences for having low scores. A new draft regulation could now expand scored behavior to include content shared online. If the new regulation is put into effect, internet users who fabricate, publish and spread information online that goes against public morals or business ethics could be deemed “seriously untrustworthy.” Users aren’t the only ones being... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3020992/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3020992/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2019 09:12:48 +0000 As various places across China have erected their own so-called social credit schemes, some people have already faced some harsh consequences for having low scores. A new draft regulation could now expand scored behavior to include content shared online. If the new regulation is put into effect, internet users who fabricate, publish and spread information online that goes against public morals or business ethics could be deemed “seriously untrustworthy.” Users aren’t the only ones being... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech/article/3020009?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech/article/3020009?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:39:22 +0000 In a country with censorship as strict as China’s, it can be hard for authorities to ensure every trace of anything deemed inappropriate is expunged from the internet. Now state-owned media outlet Xinhua is making a new search engine app designed just for kids. Huayang Search, just called Young in English, is “China’s first search engine customized for teenagers,” according to Xinhua. The organization says that its new search engine can filter out violence, pornography and gambling-related... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-has-censored-search-engine-just-kids-state-news-agency-xinhua/article/3018288?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-has-censored-search-engine-just-kids-state-news-agency-xinhua/article/3018288?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:49:51 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS In a country with censorship as strict as China’s, it can be hard for authorities to ensure every trace of anything deemed inappropriate is expunged from the internet. Now state-owned media outlet Xinhua is making a new search engine app designed just for kids. Huayang Search, just called Young in English, is “China’s first search engine customized for teenagers,” according to Xinhua. The organization says that its new search engine can filter out... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029478/china-has-censored-search-engine-just-kids-state-news-agency-xinhua?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029478/china-has-censored-search-engine-just-kids-state-news-agency-xinhua?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:49:51 +0000 Stranger Things Season 3 is taking the world by storm, and China is no exception. Many viewers in China are finding ways to binge the show even though Netflix is not officially available in the country. Whether using BitTorrent or VPNs, hundreds of thousands of fans in China have been watching the Duffer Brothers’ supernatural saga/80s nostalgic romp since its very first season. While season 3 has been pulling in overwhelmingly positive reviews in China so far, many think the show’s portrayal of... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/stranger-things-fans-china-shocked-us-governments-ignorance-show/article/3017733?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/stranger-things-fans-china-shocked-us-governments-ignorance-show/article/3017733?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2019 15:07:09 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Stranger Things Season 3 is taking the world by storm, and China is no exception. Many viewers in China are finding ways to binge the show even though Netflix is not officially available in the country. Whether using BitTorrent or VPNs, hundreds of thousands of fans in China have been watching the Duffer Brothers’ supernatural saga/80s nostalgic romp since its very first season. While season 3 has been pulling in overwhelmingly positive reviews in China... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029467/stranger-things-fans-china-shocked-us-governments-ignorance-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029467/stranger-things-fans-china-shocked-us-governments-ignorance-show?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2019 15:07:09 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS It makes sense that Chinese gamers weren’t very amused when a hidden insult aimed at China’s President Xi Jinping showed up in the hit Taiwanese game Devotion earlier this year. But now things are reaching a whole new level: The Chinese government revoked the business license for Devotion’s Chinese publisher, Idievent, saying the company “engages in illegal activities that endanger national security, social and public interest.” The government announced... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029461/china-revokes-license-devotions-publisher-endangering-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029461/china-revokes-license-devotions-publisher-endangering-national?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:52:57 +0000 It makes sense that Chinese gamers weren’t very amused when a hidden insult aimed at China’s President Xi Jinping showed up in the hit Taiwanese game Devotion earlier this year. But now things are reaching a whole new level: The Chinese government revoked the business license for Devotion’s Chinese publisher, Idievent, saying the company “engages in illegal activities that endanger national security, social and public interest.” The government announced the penalty in a document issued at the... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-revokes-license-devotions-publisher-endangering-national-security/article/3017293?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-revokes-license-devotions-publisher-endangering-national-security/article/3017293?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:52:57 +0000 Total War: Three Kingdoms will add blood -- A LOT of blood -- to its battles in a new downloadable content pack. But Chinese gamers worry that instead of bloody battles with rivers of red, they might end up seeing lots of black or green blood instead. Next week, Creative Assembly’s flagship strategy game, inspired by the great Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, will get DLC called Reign of Blood. It’s a purely cosmetic upgrade adding blood and gore to the game. It’s... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-gamers-worry-total-war-three-kingdoms-might-have-black-or-green-blood/article/3015550?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-gamers-worry-total-war-three-kingdoms-might-have-black-or-green-blood/article/3015550?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 12:19:26 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Total War: Three Kingdoms will add blood -- A LOT of blood -- to its battles in a new downloadable content pack. But Chinese gamers worry that instead of bloody battles with rivers of red, they might end up seeing lots of black or green blood instead. Next week, Creative Assembly’s flagship strategy game, inspired by the great Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, will get DLC called Reign of Blood. It’s a purely cosmetic upgrade... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029435/chinese-gamers-worry-total-war-three-kingdoms-might-have-black-or?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029435/chinese-gamers-worry-total-war-three-kingdoms-might-have-black-or?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 12:19:26 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Rapid growth in China’s gaming industry in recent years might have led some to think it was invulnerable. Now it looks like a bleaker regulatory environment is taking a toll. A new report on the gaming industry this year shows the US is poised to once again become the world’s largest gaming market since it was overtaken by China in 2015. While some Chinese netizens said their country doesn’t need this dubious honor, others think the industry, which has... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029427/chinas-gaming-market-falls-2-amid-tightening-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029427/chinas-gaming-market-falls-2-amid-tightening-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:00:41 +0000 Rapid growth in China’s gaming industry in recent years might have led some to think it was invulnerable. Now it looks like a bleaker regulatory environment is taking a toll. A new report on the gaming industry this year shows the US is poised to once again become the world’s largest gaming market since it was overtaken by China in 2015. While some Chinese netizens said their country doesn’t need this dubious honor, others think the industry, which has been recently hit hard by regulations,... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-gaming-market-falls-2-amid-tightening-regulations/article/3015044?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-gaming-market-falls-2-amid-tightening-regulations/article/3015044?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:00:41 +0000 Since March 2017, the Chinese government has yet to license a single South Korean game. Now it looks like the country's game makers may have a glimmer of hope in getting their latest titles into the world’s largest gaming market. The game licensing freeze coincided with harmful moves against other South Korean businesses starting in 2016, which came after the country agreed to deploy the US anti-ballistic missile system, known as THAAD, on the peninsula. But with the rancor having subsided some... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/south-korea-asks-china-stop-banning-its-games/article/3014558?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/south-korea-asks-china-stop-banning-its-games/article/3014558?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2019 14:30:07 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Since March 2017, the Chinese government has yet to license a single South Korean game. Now it looks like the country's game makers may have a glimmer of hope in getting their latest titles into the world’s largest gaming market. The game licensing freeze coincided with harmful moves against other South Korean businesses starting in 2016, which came after the country agreed to deploy the US anti-ballistic missile system, known as THAAD, on the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3029420/south-korea-asks-china-stop-banning-its-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3029420/south-korea-asks-china-stop-banning-its-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2019 14:30:07 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Be careful what you share in WeChat group chats. An enticing rumor might be enough to put you behind bars, especially if it’s about Huawei, China’s embattled smartphone giant. Chinese police announced Wednesday that they have detained three people in Shenzhen and Beijing for spreading rumors online. What information could be so unseemly as to get someone thrown in jail? The rumors said senior leaders at Huawei were arrested for being American... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029414/chinese-police-detain-three-wechat-users-over-huawei-rumor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029414/chinese-police-detain-three-wechat-users-over-huawei-rumor?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:17:00 +0000 Be careful what you share in WeChat group chats. An enticing rumor might be enough to put you behind bars, especially if it’s about Huawei, China’s embattled smartphone giant. Chinese police announced Wednesday that they have detained three people in Shenzhen and Beijing for spreading rumors online. What information could be so unseemly as to get someone thrown in jail? The rumors said senior leaders at Huawei were arrested for being American spies.   According a Weibo post from national... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-police-detain-three-wechat-users-over-huawei-rumor/article/3014300?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-police-detain-three-wechat-users-over-huawei-rumor/article/3014300?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:17:00 +0000 On Sunday, Hong Kong experienced the largest protest rally in the city in more than a decade. Days later, a new round of protests broke out Tuesday and Wednesday. But in mainland China, few dare to talk about events in Hong Kong… except in the comments of two Weibo posts. Sunday’s rally saw what organizers say was more than one million people marching through Hong Kong, protesting an extradition bill that people fear will allow the Chinese government to seize whoever they want from the city. The... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-users-are-beating-censors-talk-about-hong-kong/article/3014159?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-users-are-beating-censors-talk-about-hong-kong/article/3014159?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 13:25:28 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS On Sunday, Hong Kong experienced the largest protest rally in the city in more than a decade. Days later, a new round of protests broke out Tuesday and Wednesday. But in mainland China, few dare to talk about events in Hong Kong… except in the comments of two Weibo posts. Sunday’s rally saw what organizers say was more than one million people marching through Hong Kong, protesting an extradition bill that people fear will allow the Chinese government to... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029412/chinese-users-are-beating-censors-talk-about-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029412/chinese-users-are-beating-censors-talk-about-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 13:25:28 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS There are many kinds of online content that Chinese authorities deem inappropriate: Sensitive political comments, violence in games and all pornographic content. Now one more thing has been added to a local police watchlist: “Extreme feminism.” The internet police in Mianyang, a town in Sichuan province, said in a Weibo post yesterday that the primary task in “cleaning up the internet” is to crack down on extremism. This includes “extreme feminism,”... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029410/chinese-police-are-cracking-down-extreme-feminism-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029410/chinese-police-are-cracking-down-extreme-feminism-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:10:16 +0000 There are many kinds of online content that Chinese authorities deem inappropriate: Sensitive political comments, violence in games and all pornographic content. Now one more thing has been added to a local police watchlist: “Extreme feminism.” The internet police in Mianyang, a town in Sichuan province, said in a Weibo post yesterday that the primary task in “cleaning up the internet” is to crack down on extremism. This includes “extreme feminism,” which the post specifies as using the fight... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-police-are-cracking-down-extreme-feminism-online/article/3014024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-police-are-cracking-down-extreme-feminism-online/article/3014024?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:10:16 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2019, or E3 2019, has just begun, and the game Cyberpunk 2077 is already taking China by storm, generating hype as it has in much of the world. The highly-anticipated game comes from the Warsaw-based game developer CD Projekt Red, a company Chinese gamers have nicknamed “the dumb Polish donkey.” At E3, CD Projekt Red brought out John Wick star Keanu Reeves, who appears in the game, to introduce Cyberpunk 2077 and reveal... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029408/cyberpunk-2077-instant-best-seller-steam-china-pre-orders-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029408/cyberpunk-2077-instant-best-seller-steam-china-pre-orders-open?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2019 13:07:24 +0000 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2019, or E3 2019, has just begun, and the game Cyberpunk 2077 is already taking China by storm, generating hype as it has in much of the world. The highly-anticipated game comes from the Warsaw-based game developer CD Projekt Red, a company Chinese gamers have nicknamed “the dumb Polish donkey.” At E3, CD Projekt Red brought out John Wick star Keanu Reeves, who appears in the game, to introduce Cyberpunk 2077 and reveal the release date. The company subsequently... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/cyberpunk-2077-instant-best-seller-steam-china-pre-orders-open/article/3013876?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/cyberpunk-2077-instant-best-seller-steam-china-pre-orders-open/article/3013876?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2019 13:07:24 +0000 It’s less than a week after the 30th anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown, and China’s censors are busy at work again. On June 9, more than one million people took to the streets in Hong Kong, according to event organizers, to rally against an extradition bill that people fear will allow the Chinese government to snatch anybody they want from Hong Kong. It was the largest protest in the city in over a decade, with approximately one in seven people in Hong Kong joining the... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/million-strong-hong-kong-rally-against-extradition-bill-censored-china/article/3013803?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/million-strong-hong-kong-rally-against-extradition-bill-censored-china/article/3013803?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:28:48 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS It’s less than a week after the 30th anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown, and China’s censors are busy at work again. On June 9, more than one million people took to the streets in Hong Kong, according to event organizers, to rally against an extradition bill that people fear will allow the Chinese government to snatch anybody they want from Hong Kong. It was the largest protest in the city in over a decade, with approximately one in... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029407/million-strong-hong-kong-rally-against-extradition-bill-censored?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029407/million-strong-hong-kong-rally-against-extradition-bill-censored?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:28:48 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS China is in a war against historical fantasy. (Also history in general, but that’s another story). The first episode of a TV series seen as the Chinese answer to Game of Thrones saw the same fate as the series finale of GoT, which was shelved indefinitely in China hours before airing worldwide last month. The highly-anticipated Novoland: Eagle Flag, the latest show set in the fictional Novoland universe, was also suddenly canceled on Monday just minutes... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029398/china-cancels-its-own-version-game-thrones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029398/china-cancels-its-own-version-game-thrones?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:57:58 +0000 China is in a war against historical fantasy. (Also history in general, but that’s another story). The first episode of a TV series seen as the Chinese answer to Game of Thrones saw the same fate as the series finale of GoT, which was shelved indefinitely in China hours before airing worldwide last month. The highly-anticipated Novoland: Eagle Flag, the latest show set in the fictional Novoland universe, was also suddenly canceled on Monday just minutes before airing. Streaming site Tencent... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-cancels-its-own-version-game-thrones/article/3013244?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-cancels-its-own-version-game-thrones/article/3013244?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:57:58 +0000 Chinese internet users have many ways to refer to June 4, 1989. Some call it May 35th. Some write 6489 or 8964. Others turn to mathematical equations to refer to those number sequences: 32x2, 88+1, 65-1, 2^6. All of these terms are diligently censored on China’s internet. They are just some of the more than 3,400 expressions used to refer to the bloody government crackdown that happened that day, quashing student protests that began in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and left hundreds, possibly more... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/anything-rubber-ducks-ipads-are-being-used-keep-memory-tiananmen-alive/article/3013072?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/anything-rubber-ducks-ipads-are-being-used-keep-memory-tiananmen-alive/article/3013072?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jun 2019 12:32:17 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Chinese internet users have many ways to refer to June 4, 1989. Some call it May 35th. Some write 6489 or 8964. Others turn to mathematical equations to refer to those number sequences: 32x2, 88+1, 65-1, 2^6. All of these terms are diligently censored on China’s internet. They are just some of the more than 3,400 expressions used to refer to the bloody government crackdown that happened that day, quashing student protests that began in Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029396/anything-rubber-ducks-ipads-are-being-used-keep-memory-tiananmen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029396/anything-rubber-ducks-ipads-are-being-used-keep-memory-tiananmen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jun 2019 12:32:17 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Thirty years ago China ordered a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy activists gathered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, leaving hundreds dead. The dramatic events that took place on June 4th, 1989, became one of the most defining moments in modern Chinese history. Yet today, the country’s Great Firewall is threatening to wipe out memories of the massacre. For China’s tech-savvy 20-somethings, the outside internet -- untethered by the grips of... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029390/chinas-great-firewall-threatens-erase-memories-tiananmen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029390/chinas-great-firewall-threatens-erase-memories-tiananmen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2019 14:00:49 +0000 Thirty years ago China ordered a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy activists gathered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, leaving hundreds dead. The dramatic events that took place on June 4th, 1989, became one of the most defining moments in modern Chinese history. Yet today, the country’s Great Firewall is threatening to wipe out memories of the massacre. For China’s tech-savvy 20-somethings, the outside internet -- untethered by the grips of government censors -- remains a primary source... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-great-firewall-threatens-erase-memories-tiananmen/article/3012906?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-great-firewall-threatens-erase-memories-tiananmen/article/3012906?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2019 14:00:49 +0000 We’re just a few days away from the 30th anniversary of the June 4th Tiananmen Square crackdown, which means China’s censors are hard at work as internet users find there are fewer places for them to comment online. One very conspicuous target of censors this year is “bullet chat.” Originated in Japan and popularized in China by anime video site Bilibili, fly-by comments overlaid on videos is an iconic feature for many video streamers in China.   On May 29, five video sites -- anime sites... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/video-platforms-suspend-fly-bullet-chats-tiananmen-anniversary-approaches/article/3012554?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/video-platforms-suspend-fly-bullet-chats-tiananmen-anniversary-approaches/article/3012554?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2019 13:10:18 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS We’re just a few days away from the 30th anniversary of the June 4th Tiananmen Square crackdown, which means China’s censors are hard at work as internet users find there are fewer places for them to comment online. One very conspicuous target of censors this year is “bullet chat.” Originated in Japan and popularized in China by anime video site Bilibili, fly-by comments overlaid on videos is an iconic feature for many video streamers in... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029388/video-platforms-suspend-fly-bullet-chats-tiananmen-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029388/video-platforms-suspend-fly-bullet-chats-tiananmen-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2019 13:10:18 +0000 For a country obsessed with battle royale games, you’d think that EA’s decision to bring Apex Legends to China would be celebrated. They’re even making a mobile version in a country dominated by smartphone gamers. That’s good news, right? Well, not necessarily.   Rather than celebrating EA's announcement, many Chinese gamers have been jeering the announcement online. “For the Chinese version of the game, I think a good name is ‘Peace One Belt One Road Legends.’ Does this have enough socialist... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/gamers-bracing-apex-legends-be-censored-china/article/3009700?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/gamers-bracing-apex-legends-be-censored-china/article/3009700?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 May 2019 14:18:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS For a country obsessed with battle royale games, you’d think that EA’s decision to bring Apex Legends to China would be celebrated. They’re even making a mobile version in a country dominated by smartphone gamers. That’s good news, right? Well, not necessarily. How Fortnite and PUBG made battle royale the hottest trend in gaming Rather than celebrating EA's announcement, many Chinese gamers have been jeering the announcement online. “For the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029344/gamers-bracing-apex-legends-be-censored-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029344/gamers-bracing-apex-legends-be-censored-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 May 2019 14:18:15 +0000 Chinese people are obsessed with battle royale games. But their government is equally obsessed with cleaning up violence and gore in games. This is why Tencent recently decided to scrap PUBG Mobile, which has an estimated 186 million users in China, and replace the app with a new one called Game for Peace.   Yup: One of the biggest shooting games in the world, in a genre where people literally use guns to battle to the death, is now called Game for Peace. We played both games, which are... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/pubg-mobile-scrapped-china-patriotic-battle-royale-game-peace/article/3009387?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/pubg-mobile-scrapped-china-patriotic-battle-royale-game-peace/article/3009387?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2019 14:51:36 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Chinese people are obsessed with battle royale games. But their government is equally obsessed with cleaning up violence and gore in games. This is why Tencent recently decided to scrap PUBG Mobile, which has an estimated 186 million users in China, and replace the app with a new one called Game for Peace. PUBG, the battle royale pioneer Yup: One of the biggest shooting games in the world, in a genre where people literally use guns to battle to the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029335/pubg-mobile-scrapped-china-patriotic-battle-royale-game-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029335/pubg-mobile-scrapped-china-patriotic-battle-royale-game-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2019 14:51:36 +0000 From the Nobel Prize to the Hugo Award, there are a plethora of literary honors dedicated to fiction of all sorts. In China, there’s one award devoted to stories originating online. The annual prize, co-organized by the country’s media watchdog, endorses works of internet literature deemed positive in the eyes of the government. The top winner for 2018, announced this week, was Heroes of Internet: Gravitational Field -- a business thriller about a Chinese internet startup battling a... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-wants-shape-literary-taste-its-netizens-it-working/article/3001013?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-wants-shape-literary-taste-its-netizens-it-working/article/3001013?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:44:17 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS From the Nobel Prize to the Hugo Award, there are a plethora of literary honors dedicated to fiction of all sorts. In China, there’s one award devoted to stories originating online. The annual prize, co-organized by the country’s media watchdog, endorses works of internet literature deemed positive in the eyes of the government. The top winner for 2018, announced this week, was Heroes of Internet: Gravitational Field -- a business thriller about a... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029190/china-wants-shape-literary-taste-its-netizens-it-working?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029190/china-wants-shape-literary-taste-its-netizens-it-working?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:44:17 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Most parents want to ensure their children aren't being harmed by playing video games. But while American parents have a great deal of freedom to decide how they want to monitor their kids' gaming behavior, in China those choices are often made by companies pressured by the government. Chinese gaming giant Tencent already imposes various controls on young players’ game time. But this week, it’s testing a new feature: A monitoring system that sends... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029187/china-versus-us-who-controls-how-long-kids-can-play-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029187/china-versus-us-who-controls-how-long-kids-can-play-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:05:53 +0000 Most parents want to ensure their children aren't being harmed by playing video games. But while American parents have a great deal of freedom to decide how they want to monitor their kids' gaming behavior, in China those choices are often made by companies pressured by the government. Chinese gaming giant Tencent already imposes various controls on young players’ game time. But this week, it’s testing a new feature: A monitoring system that sends teachers daily updates of how long their... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-versus-us-who-controls-how-long-kids-can-play-video-games/article/3000998?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/china-versus-us-who-controls-how-long-kids-can-play-video-games/article/3000998?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:05:53 +0000 UPDATE: Devotion has been pulled from Steam worldwide. How do you boost sales of your new game? Try getting banned in the world’s biggest gaming market. In just a few days, Devotion has gone from being the hottest game in China to the most hated, after players found hidden insults directed at China’s President Xi Jinping in the Taiwanese-made game. But far from locking the game out from a potential source of sales, instead it seemed to boost Devotion: It went from selling 252,000 copies to over... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/taiwanese-games-sales-shoot-after-being-banned-china/article/3000929?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/taiwanese-games-sales-shoot-after-being-banned-china/article/3000929?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:40:03 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS UPDATE: Devotion has been pulled from Steam worldwide. How do you boost sales of your new game? Try getting banned in the world’s biggest gaming market. In just a few days, Devotion has gone from being the hottest game in China to the most hated, after players found hidden insults directed at China’s President Xi Jinping in the Taiwanese-made game. But far from locking the game out from a potential source of sales, instead it seemed to boost Devotion:... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029179/taiwanese-game-pulled-steam-after-being-banned-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029179/taiwanese-game-pulled-steam-after-being-banned-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:40:03 +0000 Just weeks before launching the hugely-awaited Metro Exodus, a surprise announcement sparked the anger of gamers around the world. The developers announced that the PC game would become exclusive to the Epic Games Store, a new challenger to the dominance of Steam. Gamers were furious about having to access a separate platform to access their games. But in China, the move from Steam to Epic means more than just inconvenience. It means the game isn’t available at all -- in the world’s biggest... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/epics-war-steam-means-gamers-china-cant-play-metro-exodus/article/3000866?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/epics-war-steam-means-gamers-china-cant-play-metro-exodus/article/3000866?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Feb 2019 11:33:55 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Just weeks before launching the hugely-awaited Metro Exodus, a surprise announcement sparked the anger of gamers around the world. The developers announced that the PC game would become exclusive to the Epic Games Store, a new challenger to the dominance of Steam. Gamers were furious about having to access a separate platform to access their games. But in China, the move from Steam to Epic means more than just inconvenience. It means the game isn’t... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029167/epics-war-steam-means-gamers-china-cant-play-metro-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029167/epics-war-steam-means-gamers-china-cant-play-metro-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Feb 2019 11:33:55 +0000 Which cartoonist's wife is the author of Sailor Moon? Which game map does Dota use? Who is the fleet admiral of the Marines in One Piece? If you can answer these questions then you might be able to register a full membership on one of China's most popular video platforms. If not, well, you clearly don't belong on Bilibili. Bilibili has long prided itself for being China’s geek culture hotspot. Its main focus is ACG -- anime, comics, games -- and is known for its trove of (mostly illegally... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/streaming-site-demands-users-take-test-they-can-watch-anime/article/3000840?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/streaming-site-demands-users-take-test-they-can-watch-anime/article/3000840?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Feb 2019 13:28:24 +0000