There appears to have been a clash involving riot police in Huizhou. I will provide these images and early hearsay reports, but I want to remind everyone: be careful with any unconfirmed reports. As the Weng'an riots proved, rumors are not only often wrong, they are also potentially very dangerous. As soon as we have credible media reports (and I expect that we will), I will … [Read more...] about Images from a mass incident in Huizhou
wengan
Wall Street Journal gets it wrong on Weng'an
A few days ago, an assistant working for the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong emailed me an inquiry, asking for my thoughts on the Weng'an story. They were working on a story about the significance of citizen bloggers like Zola, and were interested in my input. Unfortunately, the version they finally went to press with is simply wrong. I usually am more politic on this blog, … [Read more...] about Wall Street Journal gets it wrong on Weng'an
Heads roll (figuratively) in the Weng'An riot aftermath
David Peng made a prediction in his blog An Anachronist's Life on July 1st, thee days after the Weng'An riot: ... I predict, the "Hu Jintao style" government response [which emphasises on proactive reporting the news and guiding the public discussion/opinion in order to restore/maintain stability] is going to be followed by acts in the "organizing department style" , that the … [Read more...] about Heads roll (figuratively) in the Weng'An riot aftermath
Weng'an Riots: How the state media hurts China
The central government did many things right in response to the Weng'an riots. Beijing's campaign to treat "sudden incidents" with more openness was also obvious; a full news conference revealing the government's version less than 2 days after the riot is pretty unheard of by Chinese standards. Reporters from around the country and world flooded into Guizhou without … [Read more...] about Weng'an Riots: How the state media hurts China
July 1st – Heartfelt thoughts of a Party member
On July 1st, 1921, the Communist Party of China was founded by a group of students and intellectuals in Shanghai; that date has served as the official birth date of the Communist Party since. The 87th birthday for the Communist Party passed in very troubled fashion, however, as China was reminded yet again of the deep corruption and dissatisfaction in various corners of the … [Read more...] about July 1st – Heartfelt thoughts of a Party member