Global Voices Online » China

China: Baidu's new scandal.

Steven Tang — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:29:04 +0000

CCTV reported that Baidu, referred to as China's Google, had accepted money from illegal medical companies and placed their Web links on top of search results. Baidu’s marketing employees were also reported to have the knowledge of these.The service is called page-rank bid and accounts for more than 80% of the company’s revenue. The company’s business model, “which inserts ads in the natural search result without notice, has long been criticized for destroying the integrity of the search engine,” adds China Daily.On previous milk scandal, Baidu was said to have censored news in exchange for payment from dairy companies, said ChinaSmack. CCTV reports page-rank bid of Baidu. The price of Baidu has lost 37.5 percent after the state TV reports that companies, including unlicensed medical firms and hospitals, pay Baidu in order to appear around the top of keyword search results. However, Beijing News viewed CCTV's reports from another aspect:

有时候很难分别企业是不是合法，因为非法企业可能伪装得很好，蒙骗了央视或者百度。央视对百度的曝光，从某种意义上说就是两家企业竞争广告市场份额。在百度未兴盛之前，央视等传统媒体的广告份额很大，网络的兴盛使得百度这样的企业也能从央视抢广告份额。所以笔者看来，央视曝光百度很容易理解，这至少有两个方面的好处，一是作为媒体的功能所在；二是降低竞争对手的信誉以便争取市场份额。

Sometimes it's hard for CCTV or Baidu to pick out illegal companies because of their “excellent camouflages”. In a sense, CCTV's action to expose Baidu actually reflects their market share competition. Before Baidu grew into a search giant, traditional media like CCTV controlled a large share of the ad market, while as the internet thrived, shares were reallocated. Therefore, CCTV's intention to expose Baidu's scandal is easy to understand in two ways: first, as a media, CCTV is under “obligation” to expose information. Second, CCTV can reduce the credibility of its competitor in order to fight for more market share.

After CCTV reports, Baidu unveiled its response quickly in a conference call with analysts last night and promised to design a new system that more clearly separates its paid links from ordinary search results.China Journalreports.

“We are doing this because we care. It is important to us. We want to be a responsible corporate citizen,” said Baidu chief executive Robin Li.

Tianya blogger 阿杜在线 updu.com.cn calls for regulations to supervise powerful companies like Baidu.

只有一只独大，才会导致垄断、才能取得话语权、定价权，才有恶意屏蔽的资本。但是一支独大的现象是不可避免的，因此就更加需要媒体的监督，也需要相关法律法规来制约。

Only unilateral power can lead to the monopoly status that enables the company to obtain the monopolized right of say and pricing, and have the strength to screen what it dislikes. But the occurrence of such power is inevitable, so there should be more supervision of the media and restrictions by relevant laws and regulations.

常平changping has another comment.

很多网站都是从纯商业起家，尽管它们从一开始就发挥着信息发布、观点讨论的功能，却没有传统媒体职业规则的负担，可以相对单纯地考虑商业运作.

Many websites starts from pure business. Although they have always played a major role in publishing information and organizing discussions, they seldom take the responsibility of traditional media but more focus on simpy running their business.

Macau: Say No to Article 23 and White Terror

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:58:57 +0000

Macau SAR government issued a draft bill enacting Article 23 of the Macau Basic Law in October. The Law is very sensitive and it would affect every citizen's freedom and rights. Now it is supposed to be the public consultation period, but it seems that the government has been giving pressure to independent social groups, organizations and universities to prevent them from having open discussion. However, in spite of all the pressure, activists urge to rally on 23 of Nov (this weekend) against the legislation.

Public forum canceled

Chong from inmediahk.net was supposed to attend a public forum organized by a group of Macau University student this weekend on 22 of November, however he got an email this morning saying that the forum has been canceled because they couldn't find a venue.

According to Chong's report at inmediahk.net:

這個活動原來是由一群熱心同學舉辦的，即『關你廿三事』活動籌備小組，但他們想有學生會的名義，辦起事來比較方便，所以把幾個學生團體找來，包括澳大學生會、澳門科技大學學生會、澳門高等校際學院同學會、澳門理工學院公共行政高等學校學生。可是，現在澳大學生臨時「縮沙」，令活動胎死腹中。

This activity is originally initiated by a group of students, a preparatory committee on “To you Article 23 Concern”. Since they want to organize it with under the student unions' umbrellas, they invited several student organizations to co-host, including: The Student Union of Macau University, The Student Union of Macau UST, The Alumni Organization of Macau Higher Education, students from the School of Public Administration at Macau Polytechnic University. Suddenly the SU of Macau University decided to withdraw from the organization team and the forum has to be canceled.

很難令人相信，取消的原因跟場地有任何關係。我後來從小道消息處得知，十一月二十日，澳大校方有人打電話給澳大學生會，要求它取消這個活動，若有不從，後果如何，我未能得知。而澳大學生會中人則害怕會遭受校方處分，昨夜臨時找了籌備小組的人開會，決定不搞了，而且還於當晚即時發公告取消。

It is hard to believe that the venue be the reason for canceling the event. Then sources told me that on 20 of Nov, the university contacted the student union demanding them to cancel it. However, he doesn't know what exactly will be the consequence if they rejected the school's demand. The students were intimidated by the university officials, they called up the preparatory committee last night to discuss about the issue and decided not to host the forum. A notice on the cancellation was put up immediately.

Below is a poster for the forum:

Protect University's autonomous space

Chong makes some suggestions to follow up the issue:

1. 澳大學生及老師應該要去質問澳大學生會，是否受到校方的壓力，才作出如此倉卒決定？亦該質問校方，是否在暗地裡壓制學生及學生團體的言論自由及活動自由！

2. 澳門公民團體也應該加入，向澳門政府質詢，是否政府有向校方施壓，禁止公開討論廿三條，並要求政府保證大學自主，以及澳門的言論自由！

3. 澳門公民身體力行，繼續公開討論廿三條立法的各種問題。

1. Macau university students and teachers should ask the student union if they had been pressured by the university officials for making such a sudden decision. They should also question the university for repressing students and students organizations' free speech and activities.

2. Civic groups from Macau should post questions to the government and check out if the government has been involved in giving pressure to the university for repressing the discussion on article 23. They need to demand the government to ensure the autonomous space in university and freedom of speech in Hong Kong.

3. Macau citizens should continue to discuss the problems of article 23 in the public.

He also points out that what he has encountered is not an isolated incident:

澳門的「國家安全」還未到，白色恐怖已到來！連公開討論的權利也遭壓制，這是個怎樣的社會？在此前，我也收到消息，澳門天主教教友協進會屬下的《澳門觀察報》曾於十五日辦了一個討論會，原來打算邀請香港的天主教正義和平委員會（簡稱正委）代表，大家份屬天主教，是很正常的選擇。可是，在討論會前幾天，正委突然收到訊息「不要來了」。究竟讓正委來澳出席區區一個論壇，有何大不了？實在不得而知，只是據聞，這是來自澳門天主教上層人士的意思，而澳門天主教高層也跟北京政府及特區政府很「要好」。

“National security” hasn't arrived at Macau yet, but we can already see the white terror! What kind of society it is to repress public discussion? Before this happened, I have heard that the publication “Macau Observe” under Catholic Lay Association of Macau planned to organize a discussion in Nov 15 and they had invited representative from the committee of justice and peace from the Catholic Church in Hong Kong. As both organizations belong to the same church, such meeting is considered very ordinary. However, a few days before the meeting, the Hong Kong counterpart received a message to ask them not to go to Macau. What's the big deal for letting JP for attending the Macau Catholic forum? Sources said that the instruction was delivered by the higher rank Catholic Church in Macau and that Macau Catholic Church's relation with Beijing and Macau SAR government has been very close.

What's the rush?

Bobo, also from inmediahk.net, wrote a citizen report in early November with some statistical information about the public knowledge of this bill:

澳門街坊總會日前向一千多名居民調查，只有六成受訪者知道政府推出《維護國家安全法》草案，對草案有所瞭解的受訪者不足五成。而建設澳門聯盟亦發現絕大多數澳門巿民對澳門基本法廿三條認識不足，調查結果顯示，對基本法23條的認識「幾少」、「好少」、「完全唔認識」合共 85.4%；「完全認識」、「好多」、「幾多」合共僅佔9.1%，這說明這草案需要更多民間的討論。

The neigborhood organization in Macau conducted a survey and collected more than 1000 questionnaires. The survey result shows that only 60% of the interviewees actually knows that the government has drafted the “National security” bill. Less than 50% of the interviewees knows about the content of the bill. Macau Union for the construction of Macau pointed out that most of the Macau citizens don't have enough knowledge about article 23. Their survey shows that 85.4% respondents has little to no knowledge of the law. And only 9.1% of the respondents have adequate to full understanding of the law. It shows that a lot more public discussion is needed.

Since Hong Kong government has decided to defer the enacting of Article 23 until there is public consensus, China briefing wondered why Macau has to go ahead of Hong Kong to implement the bill:

Given no signs of an epidemic terrorism or separatism wave sweeping Macau, one is left to wonder the urgency a security bill as intrusive as Article 23 is needed for. Then of course, gamblers are highly suspect people with a record of government overthrow and sabotage…

Rally on 23 of November!

A few independent voices can be found on the internet against the legislation and drafted bill. Funny sister gives a summary of the bill and concluded that:

總括黎講…佢廿三條立法之後就連言論自由都冇!我地就冇曬可以表達ga自由,連去遊行都唔可以亂講野!如果唔係又俾佢話我地呢d星豆市民反政府!!!!

In a nutshell… with the article 23 bill passed, we don't even have freedom of speech! We don't even enjoy freedom of expression, can't demonstrate and our slogans would be monitored! All these can be viewed as anti-government activities!

Tennedy posts two ads on his blog, one is urging Macau citizen to stand up against the legislation, the other one is about the rally on 23 of Nov:

人權、自由是人類生存的基本權利，
共產黨式的封閉主義已經沒落，
請各澳門朋友們發起大遊行，
要求澳門政府停止23條立法，
澳門人也是人，澳門人站起來，
齊來保障自己的人權!!!!!

讓國際傳媒知道，澳門市民是不支持這條惡法!!

Human rights and freedom is the basic rights of people,
The isolation practice of communist party is over,
Please organize rally, my Macau fellows,
Macau people are also human being, Macau people have to stand up,
Let's protect our human rights!

Let the international media knows about this, that Macau people don't support this evil law!

Netizen survey: more than 70% opposes legislation

While the Macau government said that 65% of the citizens supported the legislation, grhvonkqyk from cyberctm forum invites internet users to vote on the bill, and more than 74% (3pm 21 of Nov) has voted against the bill.

In the discussion thread, SIOCF pointed out that

如果這是一個真正開放ge國家我無所謂
但是我們所身處的是一個假開放國家假民主ge社會
事問聲如果我們不反對的話
可想而知,我們沒有未來可言

If this is a real open country, I am ok with it
But we are in a fake open and fake democratic society,
If I don't oppose,
I won't have a future.

Tang Nan zeng said that:

我认为，目前为某条立法的时机未到，实现普选之后再立未迟。

In my opinion, this is not the time for legislation, let's wait until we have universal suffrage.

1 shot 2 kills worried about the execution of the law:

23條立法唔係問題
點樣去執法先係問題…
甚麼煽動、顛覆、國家機密
好似得你講冇我講~你話係就係
分分鐘自己衰乜都唔就話要拉要鎖

係咁o既環境之下~你叫人點會唔憂慮
不過澳門d權貴、擦鞋仔話要立
我o地d小蟻民邊有討價能力~
要立就立~結果都係一樣
o係度扮晒o野假咨詢o米仲核突~

Article 23 is not a problem.
The problem lies with exercise of the law.
What is sedition, subversion and national secret?
It relies on your definition, not mine.
People may get arrested without knowing what exactly they have done.
Under such situation, how can people not worried?
However, the powerful and the ass-wiping guys in Macau keep saying that legislation is necessary.
How can ant-like citizen have a say?
Just do it, the result will be the same.
Now the fake consultation really sucks.

Hong Kong Journalists Association's statement

The Hong Kong Journalists Association has made a public statement on the Macau article 23:

To ensure adequate and continued freedom of expression and freedom of the press as well as continued protection of Macau correspondents of Hong Kong’s news media and Hong Kong reporters who may go to Macau for reporting purposes, it is our view that some revisions are necessary to the draft newly-released for public consultation by the Macau Government. For instance we believe there is a need to be more specific in Article 6 of the draft (theft of state secrets) by adding “national and public interest” as “reasonable excuse” or “reasonable immunity” to ensure a proper balance between the needs of national security and freedom of expression as well as freedom of the press.

China: Liberate Taiwan with Sexy PLA

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:27:26 +0000

Wang Ning suggested to liberate Taiwan with sexy PLA like these pictures…

China: The Longnan riots and the CCP’s global spin campaign

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:31:39 +0000

David Bandurski from China Media Project wrote a report on how the CCP manipulated the mass incident happened in Longnan, Gansu through media. Background about Lungnan protest can be found here.

Environment: Obama's Climate Challenge

Juliana Rotich — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:56 +0000

On ChinaDialogue, Bill McKibben writes about President-elect Obama’s big climate challenge: “As he assumes the US presidency, Barack Obama must make climate-change legislation and investment in green energy his top priorities. He must be ready to take bold — and politically unpopular — action”

China: When Your Son Is Kidnapped

Oiwan Lam — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:35:41 +0000

ESWN translated a Southern Metropolis Daily news about a father seeking help online for finding his kidnapped son: the kidnappers demanded 30,000 RMB, but the police refused to accept the case because the amount has to be 50,000 RMB or more. The helpless father therefore went onto the Internet for help.

China: Protest and Repression at Earthquake Area, Gansu Lungnan

Oiwan Lam — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:32:37 +0000

According to mainstream news report, around 30 peasants from Wudu（武都） district Dongjiang（東江） town paid a petition visit to the Lungnan（隴南） city committee yesterday (17-18 of Nov), but it ended with police repression. There is little explanation on what had exactly happened as information has been blocked.

However, two videos have been uploaded in youtube showing the street fight between protesters and police. In the video, sound of gunfire is rather visible:

Beifeng tried to figure out the background of the confrontation by searching on the web. And it seems that the incident is related with the land acquisition compensation and the relocation of the Lungnan City after the earthquake. Here is a translation of Beifeng's investigation:

Land acquisition and city relocation

陇南位于甘肃南部，是全省唯一地处长江流域区域的地区。在地震前，该地区进行了大规模的城市建设，许多群众农民土地被征。为修建新区政府办公区，武都区整个东江镇及半个汉王镇的农田、居民居住区都被征用。有消息称，有许多人被开发商强行拆迁，许多人至今仍住在帐篷内。

Lungnan is located in southern Gansu. It is the only region in the province that situates near the Yangtze River. Before the earthquake in May, the region had a large scale city construction project and many peasants had to surrender their land. In order to build the new city government office building, most of the farmland and residential district at Dongjiang town and Hanwang town has been resumed. Some said that many people were forcefully removed by developer and some are still living in camp.

在 5.12特大地震中，陇南伤亡300多人，成为继四川之后的最大灾区。2008年7月有谣言传出，当地市委、市政府以地质原因提出了将行政中心从武都区迁往成县的规划，引起早先武都区拆迁农民及全区居民的强烈不满。这个谣言出现后陇南市政在极短时间内就通过地方媒体进行辟谣的官方讲话，很快将事态安定了下来。但在辟谣后一周，陇南市的网民发现，陇南武都区因地质问题迁建的讨论文档已赫然挂在国务院行政网站上，而陇南市府官方并没有针对此事做进一步澄清，结果在短时间内激化了武都与成县人民的矛盾，自此开始，社会流言与网络相互谩骂不止。拆迁农民亦多次上访。

In the May 12 earthquake, there were more than 300 people injured and killed. Gansu is the second most seriously affected area in the country after Sichuan. Back in July 2008, there were rumors saying that the city committee and government planned to relocate the city administration center from Lungnan to Cheng County out of geology consideration. The plan had agitated peasants who had suffered from the land acquisition and the residents in Lungnan. However, the government denied the rumor very quickly via local media and the emotion cooled down. However, a week later some netizens found out that the document concerning the geology issue and city relocation had been posted on the website of the State Department. The Lungnan City government did not give further response to the issue. People from Wudu and Cheng County were put in an antagonistic position and there were a lot of online verbal attacks. The peasants suffered from land acquisition and demolition also started to pay petition visit.

17号早上有消息传来，“陇南市搬迁到成县以已经国务院批准”，相信这则传言是引发群众再次上访的直接原因。

In the morning of Nov 17, the news about “Lungnan City relocation plan approved by State Department” spread out, which probably leaded to this new round of petition visit.

2008年11月17 日上午9时30分开始，甘肃省陇南市武都区东江镇30多名拆迁户再次集体到陇南市委上访，要求对陇南市行政中心搬迁后他们面临的住房、土地和今后的生活等问题做出答复。11月17日下午，大批群众和居民在陇南市委门前集体上访，陇南市委和相关部门的干部及时进行了接访，但未与上访人员意见达成一致。当晚，聚集和围观群众陆续增加，围堵至凌晨，未见到主要领导。由于未知原因，人群冲入市委院内，打碎玻璃，砸毁汽车，烧毁部分办公室，引发了这次次的严重冲突。

At 9:30am of Nov 17, more than 30 petitioners from Dongjiang town, Wudu district, Lungnan City paid the petition visit to the city committee. Because of the land acquisition, people are homeless and landless, now that the city is to relocated to another district, they demand the city committee to explain the situation and whether the government have any relief plan for them. In the afternoon, more people gathered in front of the city committee. Although the city officials had arranged a meeting with the petitioners, there was no consensus. More and more people gathered outside the city committee in the evening until midnight expecting to see city leader. For some unknown reason, some people rushed into the courtyard of city committee, broke the windows and vehicles and set fire on part of the office. Such action leaded to this serious confrontation.

Police's trap

A secondary school youth from Wudu gave more background on this confrontation in the comment section:

原因是搬迁之事政府在很早以前就出来辟谣，告诉群众不要相信谣言，况且还为此逮捕了６名所谓的传谣者．更重要的是自从王义来武都做市委书记以后，拆了很多的民房，尤其是武都东江镇，毫不夸张的说一个很大的镇子被移为平地，数万人没了自己的家，王义给群众的答案是要把东江建成陇南新城，群众没有说什么他们相信政府，东江镇的居民全部住进了临时安置房，没有人抱怨，因为他们相信党会让他们过的更好！可是王义要一走了之，要那么多人永远无家可归，大家说人们能不愤怒吗？．５１２武都人民都没有被吓倒，１１月１７日武都人真的愤怒了，他们自发聚集在市委抗议，武都人是很文明的，开始只喊喊口号＂反对搬迁＂没人那么过激，然而在１７日夜群众愤怒了．在１７日夜有几个维持执安的成县武警把几个群众抓到市委大楼拳打脚踢，致使重伤，群众忍无可忍冲进大楼只是想救出群众，抓出打人者，可是没等人走近又是一阵警棒石块，这才越闹越大．到目前已有上百人被捕，很多人受了伤，生命垂危，更可气的是，调来的军车上竟写着＂反恐精英＂在抗震救灾在中人民解放军树立的深厚情谊被王义在一夜之间瓦解了！

The government had been preaching to the people not to believe in rumor and they had arrested 6 so-called rumor makers. Since Wang Yi became the secretary of city committee, a lot of residential buildings had been demolished, especially in Wudu Dongjiang town. It is not exaggerating to say that the whole town had been demolished and thousands of people lost their home. Wang Yi explained to the people that Dongjiang would become Lungnan new city center. People believed the government and willingly moved into temporary housing. No one complained because they believed in the party's good will to improve their life. However, now that Wang Yi decided to move away and left behind so many homeless people. How can they not be angry? During the 5.12 earthquake, people wasn't panicking. In Nov 17, people were really angry, they protested in front of the city committee spontaneously. People in Wudu are very civilized, at first they just shout slogan: “no relocation”. However, later at night, some police from Cheng County pushed a number of protesters into the city committee building and beat them hard. People couldn't stand anymore, they rushed in to rescue their fellow and tried to get hold of the attackers. However, the police insiders received them with rods and stones. Then the situation became out of control. More than a hundred people had been arrested now, many were injured, some are fatal. It is more agitating that the military vehicles moving in carry a slogan “counter terrorist force”. The image of earthquake rescuing team has vanished over night.

Information blocked

Another comment urges people to help spreading the news:

到11月18日，至少已经有数十名无辜群众遭暴打致死。消息都封锁了，很多更真实的照片都发不出来。而在这个帖子里，竟然是政府的御用笔杆在那里乱打官腔，群众的感情他们根本就是在当做垃圾,而百姓的言论遭到大量的封锁，只能发布在少数冷门论坛里，根本无法引起外界重视。我们死了很多同胞，至少我们不希望他们死的太冤，在死后还要被冠以“暴民”的帽子。市委书记拆完了，招商了，引资了，要调离拍屁股走人了，很难不能让人相信他背后的动作。甘肃省委不明真相，封锁消息，这种大事连四百公里外的省会兰州都没有多少人知道！天理何在？我们的意见，我们的冤屈难道就这样被强权和官僚们压制！？无奈之下，只能希望大家口口相传，让更多的人知道真相。希望能够引起关注。就在刚才，大街上防暴警察还在向群众释放催泪瓦斯，官逼民反，民不得不反。天理何在，希望大家了解真相，让更多的人都了解真相，大家都转帮忙传一下。谢谢。

In Nov 18, tens of protesters had been beaten to death. Information had been blocked and photos could not be released. However, this post (translator note: from another forum) has adopted the official stand - they disregarded people's emotion and much of their opinions had been blocked. Their voices could only appear in a small number of forum with very few visitors. They couldn't attract public attention. We have lost a number of fellows and we hope that their deaths deserve some respect, not to be called as “rioters”. The secretary of the city committee had done with the demolition, had done with contracting out project and business, had done with attracting capital, now he is ready to go and leave people behind. He have lost his credibility. The Gansu province committee doesn't know the truth and blocks the information. Such big incident was not even reported in Lanzhou. Where is our justice? Should our opinion and our sufferings be repressed by the bureaucrats like that? We can only depends on people to pass on the information and raise concern. Just now, the riot police are still firing tear gas to the people. The people have to resist. I wish you will understand the truth and let it known to others. Please pass on the information, thank you.

China: Reflections of a Bridge Blogger

Oiwan Lam — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:52:42 +0000

Roland from ESWN posts his presentation, “reflections of a bridge blogger”, for Chinese blogger conference in his blog. (He failed to attend the gathering because of family emergency.)

China: Blogger Conference

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:45:39 +0000

David Feng from China Review reports on various presentations at Chinese Blogger Conference, including: Michael Anti's presentation on his old / media experience, Ping Ke's presentation on ir/rational online debate, Hecaitou's presentation on the challenge for digging true information online.

China: Checking IDs

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:35:56 +0000

Mutant Palm blogs about the Identity card verification system recently launched in China. The blogger points out that the Chinese system of local registration and documentation has been far less comprehensive, or effective, than Western societies.

China: Too much time online? You got psychosis.

Bob Chen — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:22:52 +0000

Facebook, twitter, blog, facebook, email, online game, then blog, how long have you stayed online? If you have stared at your computer screen and clutched your mouse for over 6.13 hours a day (not including work time), you are, I am sorry, a person of mental disorder according to the latest official definition in China.

China will be the first country to define internet addiction as a type of mental disorder. The national Ministry of Health has accepted a manual by Chinese psychologists which categorizes obsession with internet as a mental disease, and it is expected to turn into a guideline for all the hospitals in China very soon.

Symptoms of net addiction, as the manual introduces, include impulsive use of internet, irritation and unreasonable distress when offline, and the failure to concentrate.

According to the leading expert Dr. Tao in the country’s first addiction treatment center, of the young group that takes the majority of 253 million netizens in China, about 10% have been inflicted by the addiction, most of them male. His research on 3000 patients shows they might have strong psychological dependence on internet, which undermine their normal social activities and daily life. It is pointed out that online games which now totally take up over 4800 million users in China, such as World of Warcraft, are a great problem that they weaken users’ ability to distinguish virtual world from the real.

Also, internet may contribute to crime rate. 76% of juvenile offenses in the capital city of Beijing are related to the Internet, said Dr Tao.

It is not the first time, however, for the Chinese government to regulate the booming online industry. It has ordered an “anti-obsession” system compulsorily installed on public computers to limit game players' time online.

Netizen reaction

A great number of internet users are thrilled at their first glance of the definition, recalling their overnighters online.

Is such a categorization ridiculous? Someone think it not at all. An opinion published 4 days ago on New Beijing Daily justifies the regulation.

这些年上了网瘾毁了孩子的报道可是铺天盖地不胜枚举。而且，关乎
成瘾医学的研究与防范是科学，不仅网瘾被纳入精神病范畴，工作成瘾、购物成
瘾、饮食成瘾、性成瘾、烟酒成瘾等都被看作是成瘾疾病。所以，网游成瘾纳入
精神病管理不是人格歧视，而是科学界定。

In these years, the number of children spoiled by addiction to internet is almost huge…..addiction to work, shopping, food, sex and smoking are all treated as disease. So, taking net addiction into the category is not meant to humiliate, but to make a scientific classification.

And the writer states why it should be taken as a disease:

确立网瘾属于精神疾病，就可以在专业医学的指导下进行药物、心理双管齐
下的戒断治疗，根除心魔，涤荡蛰伏于意识深处的网游诱惑。精神病学的实践证明，网络成瘾是可以治疗的，一般治疗时间为3个月左右，80%
的患者都可以通过治疗摆脱瘾病。

To confirm the addiction as psychosis, professional medical methods would then be employed to sever people from the online games and resist the internet's temptation. Psychiatry practice has proved that the disorder is curable. 80% patients are likely to recover within 3 months.

In bullog.cn, blogger Xiaoyao 逍-遥 cited the opinion above with a title:

奇文网瘾=精神病

Freaking article: net addiction=psychosis

Netizen “Cold” replied:

我们都是精神病

We are all psychosis.

Baiyongbing 白咏冰3 said:

同性恋也需要治疗、上网时间长也需要治疗、吃得多要治疗、吃得少也要治疗……

Gay need to be cured, staying long time online need to be cured, eating too much need to be cured, eating too less need to be cured too…..

And Li qingchen 李清晨 opposed the new categorization because the label might be a lifetime trauma to the kids:

孩子一旦进入这个地方，等于给他打上了一个标签，因此而造成的心理影响也是无法估量的。

Once a kid has been to the place (treatment center), he is labeled. The degree of mental trauma the kid suffers from would be immeasurable.

China: A new black business flourishes

Yantao BI — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:59:32 +0000

In China, to publish an academic essay is extremely difficult for simply one reason: Too many people are compelled to publish essays in a miserably limited number of journals. Reluctantly, contributors have to pay certain sum of money to get their essays published. But demand still overwhelmingly exceeds supply. Therefore, a new type of brokers came into existence: they help polish, rewrite and publish essays for blind profits. Academics
debate heatedly [zh], but a high-rank official openly supports charging the contributors [zh].

China: The 3rd cabbies strike in 10 days. Now appeased.

Bob Chen — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:52:57 +0000

After the cabbies strike in Chonqing which about 9000 drivers participated and over 100 taxis and 3 police cars were smashed during the course, another taxi strike broke out on 10, Nov, in the southern tourism city Sanya.

The cause, the same with the one in Chongqing, is overly high price charged by the taxi companies that are questioned to be monopoly, and the unfair competition with unlicensed taxis.

It was the third strike action by taxi drivers in China in 10 days. At as early as 6 am, about 200 drivers have gathered at the Sanya government headquarter to protest. [picture]They prosecuted that the taxi companies didn’t follow the regulated price set by the authority, and kept charging exorbitant fees for the cars they operate.

Media reported that the local street is nearly clear of taxis, and citizens had to take bus or motorcycle cabs instead.

Police reported that in some places the strike upgraded into violence. Cab drivers who refused to join in the operation were said to be beaten, and 28 have been arrested. The police alleged they were possibly gang members. But as the strike enters the 3rd day, more cab drivers demand the police to release their colleagues.

Representatives from each side, the government and cab drivers, were negotiating for a solution. The mayor apologized to the drivers for the loose regulation, and promised an all-in effort to give a satisfactory response.

Regarding that the arrested were categorized as gang members, lloouu222 on the internet mocked:

党和政府才是最大的黑恶势力啊。

The party and government are the real and major gangland powers.

Netizen 新李寻欢 warned:

重庆开了头，马上就要席卷全国了！

Chongqing has made a good beginning, and it will spread soon to the entire country!

A netizen named “I am Sanya driver”我是三亚司机 said:

我支持罢工，政府不给我门一个满意的回答我们就一直不营运。再说来过三亚的都知道三亚的黑车是最多的，有谁抓过，每天就知道抓出租车。

I am in support of the strike. We will not return to work until the government gives a satisfactory response. Everyone has been to Sanya would agree that it has the largest number of unlicensed cabs. Who has ever tried to catch them? All they (possibly refer to police that impose fine) know is to catch us.

Strikes are rare in China, because the authority will both crack down and muzzle the media report on such events. But the recent strike in Chongqing received an exceptional media coverage, and meanwhile, the government gave a positive solution that the fee was soon lowered and industry associations were allow to set up.

The Wall Street Journal cited a Chinese lawyer's comment in a long introductory passage of the recent cab driver strikes:

The Chongqing strike, which began Nov. 3, “made an impact,” said Zhou Litai, a Chongqing-based labor-rights lawyer. “People noticed that it worked.”

Therefore, it might have an exemplary effect to the those grieved cab drivers all over the country. But blogger Ratbaby noticed that this time the action of police might upgrade the clash:

但从最新的报道看，三亚警方所正在做的，不是试图平和的解决争端，恰恰是在客观上激化现有的矛盾。

按照有关部门的说法，被“强制带离现场”、“传唤至公安机关进行审查”的21名涉嫌违法人员，在罢运期间“参与煽动、拦阻、打砸正常营运出租车”。但恐怕没有人不明白，这其实是有关部门在处理突发事件时惯有的传统做法：枪打出头鸟，杀一儆百。

From the latest coverage, we see now what the Sanya police are doing now is not to tackle the problem in a peaceful way but to, objectively, intensify the conflict.

According to the administration, 21 suspects were forced away to police station for investigation, because they fanned violence, smashed and blocked taxis in normal service. But no one would not know that it is a convential way the authority deals with any situation as the idiom goes; “to kill the leading one to deter other hundreds”(杀一儆百).

And he warned against that,

只希望自己短暂的几年任期可以平安无事，问题爆出来之后也是能掩盖就掩盖。至于被一次又一次隐藏回社会肌体的越积越深的诸多问题，则是“我走后，哪管他洪水滔天”。这种畸形稳定观在官场的长期肆虐，让某些问题不科学的处理方法在重复千遍之后变成所谓的“先进经验”与“客观规律”，成为影响社会真正和谐的罪魁之一。

The authority only hopes to maintain the superficial peace for a few short years when they are in office. Even though problems might occasionally be exposed, they would try the best to cover up. Time after time problems were driven back, since the officials act regardless of what would happen after they leave. Such an abnormal view of stability ravages the officialdom, and makes an unscientific method to deal with problems come to be a “valuable experience” and “rule”. This, is what ruins our society.

Right now, the 4-day strike has come to an end. Cabs were persuaded back to work. But dose this mean a real solution, or, actually a signal of more incoming storms?

China: Does the secret “Fifty Cents Party” exist?

Yantao BI — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:36:30 +0000

Wu Mao（五毛）is fifty cents or half yuan in Chinese currency. Wu Mao Dang (五毛党), or Fifty Cents Party, is a derogatory term applied to those pro-government bloggers who are suspected to receive fifty cents for every pro-party post. Does Wu Mao Dang really exist in China, as rumors say? A Chinese blogger took great pains to collect some evidence [zh], but dlliushaokui at sina.com expressed his doubt [zh]about its existence.

China: The end of export-led growth?

Oiwan Lam — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:58:08 +0000

Alan Baumler from Frog in a Well comments on the China economic stimulus package and wonders if it implies an end of export-led growth. David Dollar from the World Bank blog also looks at the plan very positively.