All posts by LLD - 191. page

As seen in the loud protests before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, many Chinese have truly demonstrated anti-US sentiment and nationalism both in China and abroad. For the Western world, an increasingly powerful China is also an increasingly expanding and arrogant nation. Since the future leaders of China are among them, this is an issue that will have an influence on world peace. The following is an article from the International Herald Leader [1], a newspaper under the Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese official media.

Five years ago, the International Herald Leader published an article that claimed that Internet nationalism had opened a new page in Chinese nationalism. Five years later, in the spring of 2008, Chinese Internet nationalism completed a real evolution in virtual space.

Immediately after the serious violent incident in Lhasa on March 14, some websites were created to criticize the Western media’s biased and distorted reports, calling people to go to the streets, using their flesh bodies to defend the Olympic torch. In March, with the help of the Internet, in China and abroad, tens of thousands of ordinary Chinese coincidentally showed the world what the true public opinion of the Chinese nation really is. Some western media have had to admit that "the outburst of China’s nationalism is not from top to down," but it also a reflection of a prevalent "new patriotism" among the Chinese people.

About five years ago, International Herald Leader wrote an article, asserting that Internet nationalism had opened a new chapter in Chinese nationalism, predicting, "Internet nationalism is a new starting point, not an ending point." This music chapter was played again this spring, with three new "precedents;" it confirmed the former prediction. Chinese Internet nationalism has completed its real evolution in virtual space, and has blown the horn to march forward.

Three new precedents

After the March 14 incident in Lhasa, a considerable number of Western media blatantly distorted the truth. They completely showed their sinister intentions and their attitude of arrogance. At the same time this also demonstrated their poor methods. In their report, the police from Nepal and India became Chinese police and emergency vehicles became China’s vehicle to ship prisoners. The liars used such a simple way to deceive the public. Thus Chinese Internet users in China immediately brought out the truth.

The Western media, which has a monopoly on television, newspapers and other traditional media, did not realize that the Internet’s subversive impact on traditional media occurs not only in Europe and the United States, but also in China. This time, due to the rise of Chinese nationalism, this revolutionary means of using the Internet as a media and communications tool created three new "precedents” in Chinese Internet nationalism.
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First, the broad geographic is unprecedented. From Beijing to San Francisco, from London to Paris, in such a short period of time, the Chinese around the world combined their resources and not only broke through the Western mainstream media’s language barrier, but also successfully launched a large-scale counterattack. They exposed the lies of the Western media, and immersed those waving the rag a few call ”Tibet independence” amidst an ocean of people waving the five-star Chinese flag. The Internet, as a low-cost communications tool, played a decisive role. Without the help of the Internet, it would have been inconceivable to get so many overseas Chinese to act together.

Secondly, the amount of agreement was unprecedented. Earlier, Chinese in China and overseas, could all feel they were separated by territory and by administrative power. Although the subjects of Chinese people’s attention are similar, their views are quite different. The cursing and fighting on the Internet has become a common phenomenon in Chinese forums worldwide. But this time, the voices of Chinese all over the word were shockingly similar. This indicates that, for the issues that involve the fundamental interests of a country or nation, the Chinese people are capable of reaching a high degree of consensus.

Third, the significant effect is unprecedented. The anti-US sentiment and nationalism of Chinese in China and overseas, were fully displayed. Although not all western media that lied were compelled to change their attitude as a result of pressure from Chinese Internet users, and even fewer apologized, still to be able to have the western media bow to Chinese people’s opinions is itself a landmark since Chinese Internet nationalism was formed. With the nature of Internet’s nature, the Chinese Internet users supervise the western media. This represents a model for a vulnerable nation breaking through the western soft language hegemony.

Endnotes:
[1] International Herald Leader, April 15, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/15/content_7979309.htm

On March 25, 2008, Chen Liangyu, the former Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Secretary was sentenced to 18 years in prison, marking the end of the long lasting Shanghai social security fund investigation. People are still speculating on its impact and the turmoil it has caused to party’s top level; it is obvious that this case deals not merely with financial fraud but rather with the power struggle within the party. The following is a description of the verdicts that some of the individuals imprisoned in the Shanghai social security scandal received. [1]

According to an analysis done by some Hong Kong media, the conviction of Chen Liangyu, the former Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Secretary, of 18 years in prison for bribery and the conviction of Chen Xitong, the former Beijing municipal party committee Secretary of 16 years in prison for embezzlement are both indeed "political crimes" and should not be viewed simply as crimes of bribery and corruption.

According to those media reports, the CCP is accustomed to using financial fraud charges or personal scandals as a cover for the political motive behind the matter.

Among those who were linked to the Shanghai Social Security fund scandal in 2006, were Chen Liangyu, 20 other local high-ranking officials, and prominent figures from the business circle allegedly involved.

Due to scale of the case, the defendants were split up and sent to three different locations in Shanghai, Jilin, and Anhui Provinces for trial.

The most recent verdict was on April 7 in Jilin Province when Zhang Rongkun was sentenced to 19 years in prison and 1.3 billion yuan of personal assets were confiscated. The verdict was viewed as a benchmark for Chen Liangyu’s sentence.

Zheng Enchong, a prominent Shanghai rights lawyer stated that, "this (Shanghai Social Security fund scandal) is the result of a power struggle within the party." He said, "Jiang Zemin is Chen Liangyu’s big brother. Jiang was aware of Chen’s misconduct as early as when Chen was the party secretary for the Shanghai Huangpu district all the way until he was promoted to the position of Municipal Party Committee Secretary. Jiang hand picked and promoted Chen. The current circumstances suggest that the CCP high level authorities only wanted to use Chen Liangyu’s trial to call an end to the investigation."

Zheng Enchong said, "There is an internal agreement that no one will expose anything that is related to Jiang Zemin and Huang Ju."

Zheng continuted, "I am extremely disappointed! On Chen Liangyu’s case, we have waited for a total of ten years for this date! More than 200 people have been persecuted to death and more than 2,000 people are still imprisoned. This day has finally come."

According to the number released by the National Audit Office last month, the Shanghai Social Security Fund scandal involved 33.9 billion yuan, which is higher than the original estimate of 480 million yuan.
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Endnote:
[1] The Epoch Times，April 13, 2008.
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/4/13/n2080475.htm