ChinaFile Recommends
05.26.16China State Media Promote Rap Song Praising Karl Marx
Associated Press
Entitled "Marx is a post-90"—China's version of a millennial—the song extols the communist godfather's supposed coolness.
Caixin Media
05.25.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/robinli_0.jpg?itok=WD4RWvYa)
Search Giant Baidu Shuts Online Literature Forums to Stamp Out Piracy
Internet giant Baidu said May 23, it would gradually take down discussion forums on literature from its popular online bulletin board service to remove content suspected of infringing upon intellectual property rights.China’s biggest search engine...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.25.16Criticism of Taiwan's 'Single' President Tsai Ing-wen Sparks Anger in China
CNN
According to an op-ed in Xinhua, an official state-published newspaper, being an unmarried and childless woman makes Tsai unfit for her job.
Viewpoint
05.24.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-519487722.jpg?itok=NxKpXHMS)
“It’s Time for Us To Set a New Political Agenda for Hong Kong”
Last month, midway through a whirlwind tour of United States universities, Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong took a break for a crab cake and mac-and-cheese lunch at a Manhattan brasserie. Wong, 19, came to international prominence during the...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.24.16China's Internet Propaganda Is More Subtle and Sophisticated Than It Ever Has Been
Quartz
Internet mercenaries are paid by the government to spread propaganda messages online.
Media
05.20.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/26521_sm.jpg?itok=y529wLZ2)
The Chinese Trolls Who Pump Out 488 Million Fake Social Media Posts
They are the most hated group in Chinese cyberspace. They are, to hear their ideological opponents tell it, “fiercely ignorant,” keen to “insert themselves in everything,” and preen as if they were “spokesmen for the country.” Westerners bemoan...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.19.16In China, Government Workers Push Rosy, Diverting Views Online
New York Times
The common belief that people who post pro-party online messages are paid 50 cents per post leads people in China to call them the Fifty Cent Party.
Media
05.19.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/double-pigeon_exhibitposterimage_11by17ready.jpg?itok=j41CBol4)
Backward Thinking about Orientalism and Chinese Characters
For those of us who teach and research the Chinese language, it is often difficult to describe how the Chinese characters function in conveying meaning and sound, and it’s always a particular challenge to explain how the writing system differs from...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.17.16China Breaks Official Silence on Cultural Revolution's 'Decade of Calamity'
Guardian
Communist party’s decision not to address the anniversary until 24 hours after it had passed underlined its discomfort.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.16.16China's Cultural Revolution: 50th Anniversary Unmarked by State Media
BBC
How to handle the era's contentious legacy has remained a challenge to China's Communist rulers to this day.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.13.16China Watchdog Clamps Down on Nationalist Tabloid
Financial Times
China rebukes nationalist Chinese tabloid Global Times over an online poll ahead of Taiwan’s presidential inauguration and dubbing Donald Trump a “buffoon.”
ChinaFile Recommends
05.12.16Live-Streaming Apps Flourish in China
Wall Street Journal
Welcome to China’s flourishing, new reality-show industry, where regular people use smartphones to live stream whatever suits their whims.
Media
05.12.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/stylus_sm.jpg?itok=P2t4Jqrk)
Chinese Is Not a Backward Language
Even in the age of China’s social media boom, and billion-dollar valuations for Beijing-based IT start-ups, prejudice against the Chinese language is alive and well. One would be forgiven for thinking that by 2016, the 20th century’s widespread...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.11.16Move over Captain America, "Captain China" Is on the Way
Quartz
Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the Marvel franchise’s last two films, will co-produce China’s own version of Captain America.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.09.16China Box Office: 'Captain America' Conquers with $96.1-Million Opening Weekend
Los Angeles Times
The movie is likely to pass the 1-billion renminbi ($153-million) mark, said an analyst from film industry consulting firm.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.05.16Baidu Should Have Even Higher Standards Than Google, Because It's All China's Citizens Have
Quartz
Many believe Baidu's claims that it performs strict due diligence before accepting ads.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.05.16China Turns to Song and Dance in Thanking Workers on Disputed Island
New York Times
One of the most applauded songs of the evening was “This Is the Kind of Man We Want to Marry.”
ChinaFile Recommends
05.03.16'Big Daddy Xi' No More? Chinese President's Nickname Nixed
Guardian
Propaganda officials warn state media off using moniker after push to portray leader as man of the people appears to backfire.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.03.16China Enlists Rap Video for Military Recruitment
Financial Times
China’s military has released a rap music video titled “Battle Declaration” as part of a campaign to lure young recruits.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.03.16China Investigates Baidu After Student’s Death From Cancer
New York Times
Chinese regulators have begun an investigation into the Internet giant Baidu due to misleading medical advertising.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.02.16Baidu, China's Version of Google, Is "Evil," a Growing Number of Users Say
Quartz
A Chinese college student recently died of cancer after receiving questionable treatment from a hospital advertised on Baidu.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.28.16‘Doctor Strange’ Writer Says China-Tibet Remarks Don’t Represent Marvel
New York Times
A growing uproar from critics accusing Marvel of racism in casting a white actress in a role that should have gone to an Asian actor
ChinaFile Recommends
04.28.16China Just Earned Its Worst Ever Score in an Annual Global Press Freedom Survey
Time
Freedom House scored China 87/100—with higher marks indicating greater restrictions—on press freedom in its 2016 survey.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.28.16China Wants to Own Small Stake in Web Firms
Wall Street Journal
The Chinese government’s control over the Internet could get even tighter, with regulators floating a proposal for the state to take 1% stakes in major Chinese Internet.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.27.16Book Debate Raises Questions of Self-Censorship by Foreign Groups in China
New York Times
The American Bar Association rejected a book written by the Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.26.16Chinese Corruption Gets House of Cards Treatment with Communist Mini-Series
Guardian
State-sanctioned TV drama will focus on the Communist Party’s resolve to eradicate corruption.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.21.16The Spy Who Loved Me? Chinese Warned Off Dating Foreigners
CNN
A poster widely displayed across Beijing tells the story of a female civil servant who is wooed by a foreign spy posing as a visiting scholar.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.20.16China Internet Star Papi Jiang Promises 'Corrections' after Reprimand
BBC
One of China's biggest internet stars Papi Jiang has promised to "correct" herself, following warnings from government officials.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.19.16China Warns of Foreign Spies with 'Dangerous Love' Campaign
Associated Press
China is marking National Security Education Day with a poster warning young female government workers about dating handsome foreigners.
Conversation
04.19.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-71801716.jpg?itok=5wF-DjGa)
Fifty Years Later, How Is the Cultural Revolution Still Present in Life in China?
Fifty years ago this May 16, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, a chaotic, terrifying, and often deadly decade-long campaign to “purify” C.C.P. ideology and reassert his political dominance...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.18.16Producer James Schamus in Beijing: "China Is Becoming the New Hollywood"
Hollywood Reporter
The former Focus Features CEO said China is leveraging its booming box office to replicate Hollywood's success.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.18.16China Bans Rich Kids From TV So They Can’t Embarrass Their Parents or the State
Time
Their hedonistic antics of some younger members of China's elite are thought to have no place amid a national austerity drive.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.18.16Twitter’s Chief in China Raises Eyebrows Over Military Past and Résumé
New York Times
Twitter's new Chinese chief appointment has aroused fears of potential censorship.
Media
04.15.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/img_0688.jpg?itok=9NoO3_xB)
A ‘Lost’ Daughter Speaks, and All of China Listens
A woman in her mid-40s cradled a scrap of blue cloth checkered with red. “Have you seen this before?” she asked. “Do you recognize this pattern?”I held it up to the light and noticed the cotton edges had frayed and tattered over years. “We already...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.13.16China Welcomes Stephen Hawking on Weibo with Awe
BBC
The British astrophysicist amassed two million followers within hours of launching his account on Tuesday.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.12.16China Says Tech Firms Pledge to Counter Online Terror Activities
Reuters
Twenty-five companies, including Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu, have signed on the help the government.
Conversation
04.12.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/google_in_hk.jpg?itok=qX6oHVxt)
Should Internet Censorship Be Considered a Trade Issue?
A new report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative lists, for the first time, Chinese Internet censorship as a trade barrier. The possible implications are complex: it could strengthen the hand of U.S. businesses, but also stands...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.07.16U.S. Adds China’s Internet Controls to List of Trade Barriers
New York Times
The limits have posed a significant burden to foreign suppliers, hurting both Internet sites and users who depend on them for business.”
ChinaFile Recommends
04.07.16China Newspaper Calls ‘Zootopia’ American Propaganda
Fortune
People's Liberation Army newspaper put forth Zootopia’s swapping of the roles of predator and prey as proof of its agitprop.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.07.16China Steps up Panama Papers Censorship after Leaders' Relatives Named
Guardian
It's dangerous for higher leaders regarding internal party credibility as much as the broader public.
The China Africa Project
04.07.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/chinesenurseafrica.jpg?itok=xy07Qcaa)
A Chinese Journalist Reflects on Reporting the China-Africa Story
How foreign journalists report on the China-Africa story is often determined by the national origin of their news organization. While there are no doubt exceptions, the U.S. news media frequently frame China as the neo-colonial aggressor and Africa...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.06.16The Architect of China’s Great Firewall Was Himself Blocked by the Firewall
Time
Fang Binxing was himself blocked from viewing a South Korean website during a talk at the Harbin Institute of Technology.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.05.16China Censors Mentions of ‘Panama Papers’ Leaks
New York Times
The names of relatives of several top leaders are found in the documents exposing offshore companies, but most citizens will never hear of the news.
Media
04.05.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/lixiaolin.jpg?itok=hAlf4teH)
Chinese Censors Rush to Make ‘Panama Papers’ Disappear
On April 3, the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit International Committee of Investigative Journalists dropped what struck many as a bombshell: news that a leaked trove of 11.5 million previously secret files from Panama-based law firm Mossack...
ChinaFile Recommends
04.05.16Foreign Press in China Face Fewer Visa Delays but Obstacles Remain, FCCC Finds
Committee to Protect Journalists
Authorities have attempted to discourage correspondents from reporting on sensitive stories.
ChinaFile Recommends
04.04.16China Is Pretending That Hong Kong’s “Best Film” Award Winner Doesn’t Exist
Quartz
Ten Years, the film about growing anxiety that Beijing is eroding HK's freedoms, is unlikedly to be released in China.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.31.16China's Churning out Hip-Hop Propaganda Videos to Win over Young People
Quartz
It’s still questionable, however, how much of their political message actually gets through.
Media
03.29.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/rivertownthemovie.jpg?itok=MKH3zmfL)
‘River Town’ the Movie
from China Film Insider
Not since Iron and Silk premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991 has a movie based on a memoir about teachers on the front lines of U.S.-China relations come to the big screen. Director Shirley Sun’s mostly-English-language film adaptation of...
ChinaFile Recommends
03.29.16China’s Latest Proposed Internet Regulations Would Make Foreign Websites Impossible to Reach
Quartz
Any website that has not procured its domain from inside China will not be accessible.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.29.16China Editor Resigns over Media Censorship
BBC
Under the "reason for resignation" section, he wrote: "Unable to bear your surname".
ChinaFile Recommends
03.28.16Excitement in China as Google, Instagram Jump Great Firewall—for Just Two Hours
Washington Post
Access may have become possible because Google had introduced a series of new IP servers.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.25.16China ‘Detained 20 over Xi Resignation Letter’
BBC
The letter focuses on what it says is Xi's “gathering of all power” in his own hands and restrictions on freedom of speech.
Green Space
03.25.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/screen_shot_2016-03-18_at_10.54.50_am.png?itok=zeg049xK)
Facebook CEO Defies China Smog; Spoof Projects Nostril-Hair Air Filters
At least a few of Facebook’s 1.5 billion users now know that founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg ran several miles in some of Beijing’s most notorious smog on Friday March 18 while he was in the city attending a conference. Famously sharing his...
ChinaFile Recommends
03.25.16Chinese Activist in N.Y. Says Beijing Officials 'Abducted' His Parents and Brother
Los Angeles Times
An influential Communist Party critic with more than 220,000 Twitter followers said authorities detained his family in Guangdong.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.24.16Hong Kong Bookseller Returns from China after Three-Month Absence
Reuters
It sparked fears that Chinese authorities were overriding the "one country, two systems" formula.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.23.16China’s Satirical Internet Queen Just Got $2 Million in Funding
Quartz
Nicknamed “Papi Jiang,” the graduate student from Beijing’s Central Academy of Drama is famous for her mocking videos.
Excerpts
03.22.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-459341254.jpg?itok=7TRYJr0C)
Beyond ‘Chicken or Beef’ Choices in China Debates
Growing up in California with no special interest in China, one of the few things I associated with the big country across the Pacific was mix-and-match meal creation. On airplanes and in school cafeterias, you just had “chicken or beef” choices,...
ChinaFile Recommends
03.22.16China Censors Say: Hey, Stop Picking on Facebook Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg
Washington Post
People posted photoshopped pictures of him jogging through other Tiananmen tableaus after his facebook update.
Features
03.21.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/tangtaizong.jpg?itok=AdPulmhq)
A Thousand Yes-Men Cannot Equal One Honest Advisor
Several cadre leaders have been punished for breaking the law, and nearly all of them have said: There isn’t enough internal supervision and no one warned me; if there’d been someone there whispering in my ear, I wouldn’t have committed such grave...
Conversation
03.21.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/renzhiqiang.jpg?itok=8ehwKIIP)
Cracks in Xi Jinping’s Fortress?
Two remarkable documents emerged from China last week—the essay “A Thousand Yes-Men Cannot Equal One Honest Advisor,” which appeared on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and an open letter calling for Xi Jinping’s...