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The tragic suicide of WePhone app founder Su Xiangmao has been dominating debates on Chinese social media over the past few days. It is the first time in China that a popular app closes down because its founder committed suicide. Netizens now demand to know the truth behind the story.

“This is the first case in the history of the internet that an app closes down because its founder committed suicide, and that the reason for the suicide is a malicious wife who basically killed him,” ‘Brother News’ (新闻哥), a popular WeChat account, wrote on September 11.

The death of Beijing IT entrepreneur Su Xiangmao (苏享茂), aged 37, indeed has gotten everybody talking on Chinese social media over the past days, making headlines in hundreds of newspapers in mainland China and Taiwan.

It is the dramatic narrative behind the tragedy that has captured Chinese netizens – especially because a large part of this story takes place online.

Su’s suicide note, in which he says his 29-year-old ex-wife blackmailed him into paying her 10 million RMB (±1.5 million US$), was placed on Chinese social media right before his death with her personal details, along with an app notification which also sent users his ex-wife’s phone number.

A suicide note and online revenge

Su Xiangmao is known as the founder of the well-known WePhone software, a Skype-like app that allows users to make phone calls and send text messages to other WePhone users for free. Su Xiangmao jumped to his death from the balcony of his apartment in the early morning of September 7.

Shortly before his death, Su published his suicide note on social media which revealed his grievance about the nasty divorce between him and his ex-wife Zhai Xinxin (翟欣欣).

***Suicide note placed WePhone founder Su Xiangmao on social media.***

See full translation of suicide note here

In his online suicide note, Su says that he had met Zhai through dating site Jiayuan.com and was only briefly married to her when she suddenly changed in behavior. The pair agreed to divorce, which is when the situation turned bitter, the note says.

Zhai allegedly blackmailed Su into paying her over a million dollars and leaving his home in Sanya to her. She intimidated and harassed him, and threatened to take his app offline through her uncle, an influential government official. The situation eventually left Su so exhausted that he decided to sign the divorce papers, losing all of his capital.

In the suicide note, Su says it is “vicious woman” Zhai who actually killed him. He ends the public note with her home address, phone number, and office address.

**A notification sent to users of WePhone.**

An app notification sent to all users of WePhone said: “The owner of this company is killed by his evil wife Zhai Xinxin [phone number]. WePhone is suspending its services!”

In search of the truth

In the aftermath of the suicide, online discussions continue to play an important role in the search for the truth about what happened to Su, and whether or not Zhai is legally guilty of extortion, with various friends or witnesses coming forward through online media.

Reports by netizens about the case are flooding social media under hashtags such as “Suicide of WePhone Founder”(#wephone创始人自杀). Generally, ex-wife Zhai is seen as the culprit who terrorized Su to such an extent that he eventually saw suicide as his only way out. Some say Zhai even is a professional scammer who received large sums of money from two previous marriages.

Family members of Su have confirmed to Chinese media that in the hours preceding Su’s suicide, he received numerous text messages from Zhai with insults and threats, saying he needed to give her money or else she would report his “illegal income” or “grey business” to the police and make sure he would end up in jail. Screenshots of these messages have been leaked online.

They also say that during the time they were married, Su spent no less than 13 million yuan (nearly 2M$) on Zhai in buying her a house and a Tesla car.

But there are also others, including former classmates of Zhai, who say Zhai was a top student at a prestigious Beijing university and that she is now an ambitious career woman who has no reason to scam others for money.

On September 12, Zhai’s uncle Liu Kejian also stated that he had no part in any situation involving Mr. Su, and that he had never even met him.

And to what extent can the dating site where Su and Zhai met, Jiayuan.com, be held accountable for this tragedy, some wonder. Jiayuan is an online dating platform meant for people who are looking to get married. If Zhai had indeed married twice before and is a professional scammer, then the site should have known this and should have deleted her from their database, according to some netizens’ views.

Jiayuan issued a statement regarding the case, saying the couple were its VIP members. The dating site also said it will assist in any police investigation into Su’s death.

“A second Ma Rong”

To some extent, the WePhone founder case resembles the 2016 divorce case of Wang Baoqiang and Ma Rong. Uncoincidentally, many netizens on Weibo refer to Su’s ex-wife as “a second Ma Rong.”

Ma Rong became the most-hated woman on Chinese social media in 2016 when she cheated on her husband Wang Baoqiang, a popular film star, and later sued him for defamation of character. Many called the young Ma Rong a ‘golddigger’ who only married Wang for his money.

Similar to the current WePhone case, Chinese social media played an important role as the marriage crisis between Wang and his wife unfolded within a matter of days after Wang placed a public message on Weibo accusing his wife of cheating with his agent and announcing the divorce.

***The divorce papers that allegedly drove Su to commit suicide.***

With every piece of news coming out on the Wang divorce drama, netizens jumped right on it to vent their opinion or to scold Ma Rong. As now, netizens turned into private detectives on the matter, inspecting old photos for clues that Ma Rong was indeed having an affair before or finding out her address and number and publishing them online, along with dozens of other official papers or screenshots serving as evidence in the case.

On September 12, a new website was set up by Chinese netizens (zhaixinxin.com), fully dedicated to the WePhone case and exposing the alleged lies by Zhai.

As with the Ma Rong story, it is probable that this case is not a “today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper” case; with new facts popping up, the case will inescapably become the trending topic of the day again until netizens are satisfied with the answers they have found.

As one netizen (@猎头老王V) says: “I want to know how the country will deal with the Zhai Xixi case. We need answers so Su Xiangmao can rest in peace.”

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Thanks to contributors Sidney Wu & Miranda Barnes

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Questions Surrounding Tragic Suicide of WePhone Founder Su Xiangmao appeared first on What's on Weibo.

The popular Chinese talk show “Behind the Headlines” (锵锵三人行), that was broadcasted by Phoenix TV since 1998, has been suddenly terminated. The name of the show itself has become a ‘sensitive’ and censored term on Weibo since September 12.

One of China’s most successful and long-lasting talk shows has suddenly been canceled after nearly 20 years.

Without further official statements, the TV show announced its termination on its Weibo channel on September 12:

“Because the company’s programs have been adjusted, we will stop broadcasting. Thank you for the many years. Hope to meet again.”

The announcement was soon shared over 31,000 times on Weibo.

“Behind the Headlines” (锵锵三人行) is a talk show by Phoenix TV (FengHuang) that is hosted by presenter Dou Wentao. The program has broadcasted every week day since 1998, inviting two guests on every episode.

The program is characterized by its unpretentious language and discussions, featuring easygoing discussions over the headlines and hot topics of the day/week. According to Phoenix TV, the show is meant to be “thought-provoking, interesting and relevant to our daily lives.”

Fans of the show mostly appreciated this open dialogue and the fact that guests often tend to disagree – triggering some lively discussions about topics that were sometimes somewhat politically sensitive.

In the past, the show also hosted guests from Hong Kong with a critical stance towards Chinese politics.

After the show’s cancellation was announced on Weibo, its title was marked as a ‘sensitive term.’ Searches for the show’s name were prohibited on Sina Weibo, just showing the phrase: “Relating to existing laws and policies, these search results cannot display.”

As reported by Sina News, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) already issued a notice in June of this year to shut down the online video services of Phoenix TV and other media outlets for not complying with state stipulations on audiovisual content and for promoting negative views and comments on society through their program.

At the time, Phoenix TV openly stated they “humbly accepted [this] criticism” and promised to alter their show’s content to meet existing guidelines. Nevertheless, the show’s cancellation comes within three months after this announcement.

“A sudden goodbye, but I will cherish the memory forever.”

On Weibo, many netizens are disgruntled with the cancellation. “There are so many shows I cannot listen to anymore, so many shows I cannot watch anymore, and now I even need to register on Weibo with my real name!”, one person said.

“I will have to get used to the days without this show airing,” another netizen commented on Weibo: “What a shame, nothing will be able to replace it. A sudden goodbye, but I will cherish the memory forever.”

“This just makes me want to cry,” others said.

One Weibo commenter posted a long goodbye letter to the show, saying that its 5000 + episodes over these past 19 years have been especially important to those born in post-1970s and post-1980s China.

One netizen had another way to look at the news: “That a Chinese talk show has been able to survive for 19 years – that’s a miracle in itself,” they wrote.

Older episodes of the show can still be viewed on the ‘Behind the Headlines’ Youtube channel.

By Manya Koetse and Diandian Guo
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post One of China’s Longest-Running and Most Popular Talkshows Suddenly Cancelled appeared first on What's on Weibo.

A disturbing video that shows how a woman and a small child are thrown to the ground by a local Shanghai policeman became a trending topic on Friday, sparking wide debates on police use of force in China.

A video that shows a Shanghai policeman pushing down a woman holding a small child in her arms is going viral on Chinese social media on September 1.

With millions of views on Weibo and WeChat, the incident is sparking a wide discussion on police brutality in China.

In the video, that was recorded in Shanghai’s Songjiang district on Friday morning, a woman can be seen arguing with a policeman while she is holding a crying child in her arms. As the conflict continues, the officer suddenly pushes the woman to the ground, causing the baby to fall from her arms and landing on the sidewalk.

Other footage after the incident shows that the fall has left the woman’s face badly swollen and bruised.

The policemen in the video were allegedly checking for illegal parking. Shanghai Songjiang police confirmed on Weibo that the incident is currently under investigation and that the policeman involved has now been suspended. The woman and the child were sent to the hospital.

The video triggered much discussion on Chinese social media under the hashtag “Woman holding baby pushed down by police” (#抱娃女子被民警绊摔#), which had over four million views by Friday afternoon.

Chinese netizens are divided over the issue, with some condemning the policeman’s violent actions and others blaming the woman for provoking an officer while carrying a child in her arms.

“You don’t even care for your own child, and push the police while using the kid in your arms as your shield. Now you’re playing the victim,” commenters said. Some also said that some footage of the incident circulating online was deliberately edited to leave out the part that shows the woman acting hostile towards the police.

But many also think the police use of force, in this case, cannot be justified: “I only want to say that those two policemen did not even bother to check if the child was ok after it fell to the ground,” a person named Isaha commented.

“It’s alright for the police to use force, but in this incident, they should have considered the baby,” a typical comment read.

Other internet commenters – possibly members of the state-backed 50 Cent Army – used the incident to show some patriotism: “If you love our country and the Communist Party you should not criticize the police. When you forward information like this, you’re telling people that our police is violent, and that this is how our government works, but we should be against spreading that message – where’s your patriotism?!”

This is not the first time discussions on the use of force by Chinese police flare up on Chinese social media. In 2016, the death of the 29-year-old Beijing resident Lei Yang while in police custody sparked online outrage, with netizens connecting the fatality to police brutality.

“Regardless of what sh*t excuse the Shanghai police comes up with about the use of force (..), everyone can see, and it is more visible in the video than in the image, how this bastard uses the technique that he learned in police academy to push the woman to the ground, while her baby is flying mid-air on the floor. He completely ignores the baby; and not just him, also his colleague, who also rushes to clamp the woman down while ignoring the crying baby,” a netizen from Guangdong wrote.

No matter if netizens defend the police’s right to use force or side with the woman, there is one thing commenters all seem to agree with. “The baby is innocent,” they say: “It should have been left out of this conflict from the start.”

State tabloid Global Times responded to the issue on Friday night through their official WeChat account, claiming that the woman who was pushed down by the police “had a mysterious smile on her face upon discovering that bystanders sympathized with her because of the child.”

*Global Times notes the woman’s “mysterious smile” on its WeChat account.*

On Weibo, some commenters wondered why Global Times would post such a thing: “It’s not her [the woman] that’s grim, it’s the person who wrote this.”

“Their imagination is too big,” some said: “This woman’s face is distorted because of her injuries; who would have a smile on their face after being beaten like this? Global Times must think others are as stupid as they are if they believe they’d follow their way of thinking..”

By Miranda Zhou Barnes & Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

The post Shocking Video Shows Shanghai Policeman Pushing Woman with Baby to the Ground appeared first on What's on Weibo.

A Chinese man running a small-scale website on which he sold VPN software has been sentenced to 9 months in prison. Weibo netizens take the man’s prosecution as another sign that authorities are stepping up their fight against software that allows people to browse websites that are blocked in China.

A 26-year-old man from the city of Dongguan, Guangdong province, has been sentenced to 9 months in prison for selling VPN software through his own website.

According to China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) database (China Judgments Online) Deng Jiewei was found guilty for the crime of “illegal control of a computer system”, contained in Article 285 of China’s Criminal Law.

The criminal law Article states:

“Whoever violates state regulations and intrudes into computer systems with information concerning state affairs, construction of defense facilities, and sophisticated science and technology is be sentenced to not more than three years of fixed-term imprisonment or criminal detention.”

The prosecution notice, issued online on an information disclosure platform of the People’s Procuratorate (人民检察院案件信息公开网), states that the man was arrested in October of 2016 for setting up a .com website earlier last year through which he offered two types of VPN software, making a total profit of approximately 2125 US$ (14000 RMB).

The notice clarifies that the .exe software sold by Deng allowed users to circumvent China’s web censorship and visit foreign websites.

“I am scared we could all be arrested now.”

Although the sentencing took place in January of this year, the news only surfaced on Chinese social media on September 3rd, soon gaining over 6000 shares on one Weibo post about the issue, and over 4000 shares of another post that reported the sentencing.

Many netizens questioned the severity of the punishment for selling a program to browse the Internet. “The crime of wanting to know the truth and selling a ladder,” one person said, referring to VPNs as a way to ‘climb over’ the Great Firewall of China. Another Weibo user posted an image of George Orwell’s 1984 in response to the news.

One commenter sarcastically wrote: “I suggest we now also bring back the crime of counter-revolution (反革命).”

Some netizens wondered how the man could have been prosecuted under Article 285: “How can using a VPN be defined as ‘intruding into computer systems’?”, one Weibo user asked.

Another person also noted that the law concerns the intrusion of computer systems relating to ‘state affairs’, but that the prosecuted man was only running a small-scale website selling VPN software. “According to this sentencing, I am also guilty for using a VPN,” he said. Another commenter shared similar worries: “I am scared we could all be arrested now.”

Chinese authorities have introduced numerous restrictions on virtual private networks (VPNs) this year. In January, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice that it will strictly contain the unapproved use of VPNs by Chinese firms.

In July, Bloomberg News reported that the Chinese government had instructed telecommunications carriers to block VPN access by all individuals in China by February 2018. Shortly thereafter, Apple removed all major VPN apps from the App Store in China.

On Weibo, some see the prison sentence for the VPN-seller in Guangdong as another sign that authorities are stepping up their fight against software that allows users to browse blocked websites. “The dark days are coming,” one man writes.

By Miranda Barnes & Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Featured image by paper.wenweipo.com

The post Chinese Man Sentenced to Prison for Selling VPN Software appeared first on What's on Weibo.

The news assistant of a prominent Dutch China correspondent has lashed out against his former employer on Chinese social media, saying he fabricated news stories about China during the time he worked for him. As the controversial story has since been shared by Chinese state media outlet Global Times, Beijing’s BTime website now says that “time is up” for the Dutch “story king.”

On September 4th, Zhang Chaoqun (张超群), the former assistant of China correspondent Oscar Garschagen, published an article on Chinese social media platform WeChat in which he accuses the Dutchman of fabricating news.

Garschagen is a well-respected Dutch journalist who has been working as a China reporter for Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad (NRC) for ten years. He previously also worked as a correspondent in the US and Israel. He is currently based in Shanghai.

Zhang, who says he worked with Garschagen for two years, first published his accusations in a Chinese WeChat post (“我炒了写假新闻的外媒记者“) via the ‘Foreign Media in China’ account (抢占外媒高地). After making its rounds in China’s journalism circles through the WeChat app, the story was also shared on Weibo and Twitter.

Zhang published an English version of his story on China Data Insider later on Monday and publicly contacted the NRC newspaper’s public advocate through Twitter, saying he wanted to expose “serious news fabrication.”

In his English post, titled “A Correspondent’s Guide to Making Fake News in China,” he writes:

“Being a news assistant who helps with pitching stories, conducting researches, conducting/arranging interviews, and translating any necessary Chinese materials but never gets to write a story or have a proper byline (not even a research byline), I dare not say I have mastered the dark art of making fake new. But I have the luck of working with one of the greatest masters of the dark art for two years and watching him fabricating, twisting and distorting stories on many occasions.”

In the article, Zhang then accuses Garschagen of bringing “fake news” in his reports on at least seven occasions. In one case, Zhang alleges that an interview included in a 2016 featured article about rising tensions around the South China Sea conflict actually did not take place at all:

“In June, 2016, as the South China Sea Arbitration Case became a global trending story, Mr Garschagen went to a small fishing town Tanmen, Hainan, with the hope of talking to Wang Shumao, deputy company commander of the maritime militia in Tanmen town. Mr Wang declined the interview request point blank. But why should a rejection get in the way of a good story? In the published story, Mr Garschagen said he waited for three days and finally “interviewed” Mr. Wang with the help from the provincial publicity department. Of course, the interview did not happen at all.”

In other examples, he says that the Dutch reporter made up names of persons included in his work, wrote about scenes he did not actually witness, quoted people saying things they had never said, or combined stories of separate individuals.

Zhang also alleges that for a report about the economically weakening coal city of Lüliang in 2015 – which was triggered by an initial story by NPR.org – Garschagen and Zhang visited three places together: the airport, a coal mine, and the ‘Zhongfen Liquor City.’

Garschagen’s later report about the trip, however, focused on a cement factory in crisis which Zhang says they actually never visited – only the reporter of the original NPR story of four months earlier allegedly had been there.

The NPR story of September 2015 by international correspondent Frank Langfitt includes an interview with a cement factory’s lower-level manager named Gao, while Garschagen’s piece of January 2016 also includes an interview with the cement factory’s former manager (and security guard) named Gao.

Both interviews show various similarities, and both stories include a fragment on a domestic appliance shop owner by the name of “Lei” (“Lei Lili” in the NPR piece and “Lei Li” in the NRC article), who says her business is doing bad because the people of Lüliang have no income anymore.

“I’ve fired my boss today and I’m proud of this decision,” Zhang concludes his online complaint. The news assistant confirmed to Chinese English-language news site Sixth Tone that he emailed his resignation to Garschagen on Monday morning.

In response to the issue, Associated Press correspondent Gerry Shih tweeted on Monday: “Be nice to your news assistant today. Especially if you depend on him/her for everything. And you happen to make a lot of stuff up.”

Be nice to your news assistant today. Esp. if you depend on him/her for everything. And you happen to make a lot of stuff up. Fucks sake.

— Gerry Shih (@gerryshih) 4 september 2017

After state media tabloid Global Times reposted Zhang’s article on WeChat and Weibo, news outlet Beijing Time (北京时间 Btime.com) also reported the story under the title “Time’s Up for ‘Story King’ Foreign Reporter” (“外媒记者当“故事大王”的日子已经不多了”).

Although some Chinese netizens believed Zhang’s account and said that foreign journalists often discredit China for their own political agenda, there were also people who questioned the story and wondered why it was republished by the Global Times, an outlet owned by official Party newspaper People’s Daily.

“I started to wonder when I saw the source,” one person wrote on WeChat. Others asked if the author might have written this to “to highlight their own justice.”

On Btime.com alone, the story was viewed over 7,5 million times by Monday evening. Zhang’s original post was also republished on other Chinese news media sites such as Sina News and Phoenix News.

Beijing Time wrote that although the truthfulness of Zhang’s allegations had not yet been verified by a third party, “there are [indeed] some ‘story kings’ amongst foreign reporters, who are wasting their time relying on their imaginations and prejudice about China.”

Garschagen, who has an account on Twitter (@oscargarschagen) and Weibo, has not yet responded on social media to the allegations that were made against him by his former assistant. He did tell Sixth Tone that he was “surprised” and “did not understand the accusations.”

He also told Sixth Tone: “This attack on my integrity contains many distortions and untruths.”

In a 2014 interview with Dutch blog The Post Online, Garschagen said about his Chinese colleagues that he had a “very positive” view on them.

UPDATE:

Dutch newspaper NRC responds to controversy over China correspondent Garschagen.

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

The post Dutch China Correspondent Accused of “Fake News” by Former Assistant appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Secret tests run by a review organization have exposed how Beijing’s top-notch hotels do not change their bed sheets or clean their toilet seats. The report has caused great commotion on Chinese social media, where it has become the talk of the day.

An online report by an assessment organization has exposed how some of Beijing’s 5-star luxury hotels do not change their bed sheets or clean the toilet seats after guests check out. The tests concern the renowned hotel chains Hilton, the W, Intercontinental, Marriot, and Shangri-La.

The tests were done by a company named ‘Better Choice, Better Life’ (literally ‘Blueberry Testing’ 蓝莓评测), which has over 60,500 followers on their Weibo account.

In a video released online on September 4, the research team says:

“As a review organization, we’ve found some unexpected results in a test which triggers a horrible assumption. We’ve seen messes of different industries in our tests. However, none of them have shocked us like this. The test result may lead to serious debate. But everyone deserves the truth, which is why we decided to release it.”

The video shows how members of the team check into several top hotels and mark their room’s sheets, quilt covers, toilets, and bathtubs with fluorescence stamps that can only be detected through a UV torch. These stamps will be removed when their surface is washed or gently wiped.

After messing up the room a bit, they then check out the next day and let other team members book exactly the same room after them to see if the bed linens and other room items are properly cleaned after guests leave.

The team found that in most cases, the pillow case, bed sheets, and/or quilt covers still had the same stamps on them, meaning that their linens were not only unwashed, but also were not changed at all.

They also found their marks had not been wiped off the toilet covers and toilet seats – which were not even touched after the check-out of the previous guests. They also found that the drinking glasses in the bathroom were left untouched by the hotel cleaners.

The team concluded that Beijing’s Hilton, Sanlitun Intercontinental, and W Hotel did not change their bed sheets after previous guests had departed and new guests had arrived. The JW Marriott Beijing did change the bed sheets and quilt cover, but not the pillow cases. Shangri-La changed all the bed linen except for one pillow case.

None of the hotels were found to have cleaned the bathtubs, nor the toilets, and all of them greatly lacked in their hygiene and service quality.

The standard room prices for the hotels vary between approximately US$200 and US$400 per night; all are over 2000 RMB.

Under hashtags such as “5-Star Hotels Do Not Change Their Bed Sheets” (#五星酒店不换床单#), the report has become a big topic of debate on Chinese social media.

“Knowing they don’t even change the water glasses, are you still willing to stay at these ‘luxurious’ hotels?”, some netizens wondered.

“We should set up an independent network of hotel guests,” one commenter suggested: “And leave hidden marks for each other so the next guest can check whether or not the room is clean.”

Some people write that they are not surprised by the outcome of the tests, saying they often bring their own sheets or pillows to hotels for this reason.

In response to the controversy, the Beijing Tourism Association held an official meeting with the management of the concerning hotels on the morning of September 5.

In an announcement on Weibo, they stated that they asked the hotels for clarification about the controversy, and required them to face up to their company’s problems and to actively solve these issues and improve their quality of service.

The Beijing Tourism Association also stated that they would increase the supervision of these hotels, and would implement a strict inspection of their hygiene standards and service quality.

By Miranda Barnes & Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

The post Secret Tests Expose That Beijing’s Five-Star Luxury Hotels Do Not Change Bed Sheets appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Oscar Garschagen has responded to the allegations that were made against him by his former assistant, which were republished by Chinese state media yesterday. “Pure nonsense,” Garschagen says in a detailed reaction in the NRC – it is Zhang who is “making up stories” here. The article suggests that there was a lack of communication and trust between Garschagen and Zhang.

Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, whose China correspondent became a topic of controversy yesterday when his former assistant published a post online that accused him of creating “fake news,” has now responded to the issue.

The story became a hot topic when Zhang published his allegations on several social media platforms. An article about the issue by Beijing Time received nearly 12,5 million views yesterday.

In “About the journalistic integrity of our correspondent in China“, NRC’s Peter Vandermeersch writes that the allegations of Oscar Garschagen’s ex-assistant Zhang Chaoqun have deeply affected the China reporter and the editorial team.

The article states:

What’s going on? In the period leading to Oscar Garschagen’s holiday, some tensions arose at the NRC-office in Shanghai between him and his news-assistant Zhang Chaoqun concerning his research, and his lack of input.”

“He was unsure of whether or not Zhang had any connections to State Security.”

“Garschagen pointed out to Zhang that he had to improve his work. He found it especially problematical that Zhang was clearly unwilling to join Oscar to the upcoming 19th Party Congress, and that he lacked ideas.”

Vandermeersch writes that Zhang was initially recommended to Garschagen through a colleague at the American radio outlet NPR, but that he did not have any experiences as a reporter. This became a source of irritation, miscommunication, and mistrust between the Dutchman and his assistant.

The article claims that this was a reason for Oscar to often go out by himself without his assistant, “also because he was unsure of whether or not Zhang had any connections to State Security.”

This work situation made the Dutch reporter decide to change assistants during his holiday, Garschagen says, but Zhang apparently had already prepared an attack on his employer in the form of his post on Weibo and WeChat.

The NRC also quotes Garschagen when he says:

“The fact that the Party media encourages Zhang and is all too willing to republish his accusations is noteworthy to me- it suits the current media climate, that makes it increasingly difficult for foreign journalists to work here. I’ve been followed and stopped for a chat countless times.”

“It is just pure nonsense.”

The article addresses the separate allegations of Garschagen creating “fake news” one by one. Garschagen denies he has made up any stories and says that some names in his reports have only been changed to protect the identity of those involved.

About the 2015 NPR story that showed great similarities with Garschagen’s own 2016 report, he says that he did, in fact, visit the factory and that his former colleague who worked at NPR allowed their assistants to exchange information on places and persons to interview. Garschagen does not further address the similarities between the persons of “Gao” and “Lei” in their stories.

He says that there had been miscommunication about certain reports mentioned by Zhang, and that he might have had to be more detailed in how he formulated certain things.

About another allegation, one involving Garschagen allegedly reporting about a golf club which he never visited, the reporter says it is just “pure nonsense.”

“It leaves many questions unanswered.”

The Dutch detailed response to the allegations against Garschagen have not made headlines in Chinese media. On Twitter, however, not everyone is convinced with the explanations given for the “fake news” accusations.

China Reuters Consumer Correspondent Pei Li calls the article a “laughable response” that leaves “many questions unanswered.”

Many Qs unanswered. Can explain the Lei Li anecdote? Lawyer also saying quote fabricated. And OK to make up names? Laughable response. https://t.co/hsL13dNBWz

— Pei Li_李沛 (@teamlipei) 5 september 2017

Zhang, who has reported his case to the NRC Ombudsman yesterday, has not yet responded to Garschagen’s denial of his accusations on his social media pages on Twitter or Weibo.

Garschagen says he has now contacted the Dutch foreign ministry in Shanghai about the claims made against him, and about the circumstances that make it increasingly difficult for him to do his job as a China correspondent.

Update September 6:

Zhang has posted a statement on Twitter in both Chinese and English, in which he expresses his hopes that NRC will still let a neutral third party investigate this case. (See embedded tweet below):

My statement. pic.twitter.com/zUiWoyyU69

— 超纯 (@evolrof) 6 september 2017

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

The post Dutch Newspaper Responds to Controversy over China Correspondent (Updated) appeared first on What's on Weibo.

The first day of school is often a major milestone – perhaps more so for parents than for their children. These Chinese parents could not resist the urge to spy on their kids during that first schoolday, which started this week.

“If you spot these kinds of people near a preschool today, there’s no need to worry about them. They’re not bad people, they’re no kidnappers, it’s just that their child has their first day of school,” one Chinese blogger wrote on Weibo this week, as many netizens shared dozens of snapshots of parents doing everything they can to catch a glimpse of their child from outside the classroom.

“Yes! This is exactly how it goes on that first day,” another popular Weibo blogger said.

The ‘no kidnappers’ Weibo post was shared over 33,000 times this week, triggering thousands of reactions from netizens both ridiculing the parents and sympathizing with them, as their separation anxiety is often worse than that of their children.

“My niece first went to kindergarten this week,” one commenter shares: “and as the child next to her was crying she stayed cool and collected and comforted her, saying ‘don’t cry, it’s no use crying over this’.”

There are also people who mention that it is not easy for teachers when parents stand outside while their children are inside, as teachers had to come forward to say they wish the parents would leave. Once the children are finally settled down, they will start crying again upon catching a sight of their parents.

The phenomenon of Chinese parents who cannot say goodbye to their schoolgoing children does not just occur outside kindergartens. Last year, the so-called ‘tents of love’ (爱心帐篷) became a hot topic on Chinese social media.

*“Tents of love”: parents set up their tents at university campus to support their children.*

When students have their first day at college, parents who come from far will often travel along with their children and spent the first days sleeping in tents outside the school. They do this to give their children both emotional and practical support, but perhaps more so to soothe their own separation anxiety.

Both the ‘tents of love’ and the clingy parents outside kindergartens are seen as a modern-day phenomenon by many Chinese web users. Today’s generations of children are nowhere near as independent as the older generations were, many say.

“I went to preschool alone, and I even paid the school tuition myself with the money in my backpack,” one commenter notes.

“We were poor when I was growing up – I never even went to kindergarten,” says one of the many responders to the pictures on Weibo.

But people mostly think the photos of the clingy parents are humorous: “Just look at their posture – they want to see, but they do not want to be seen,” a person says, adding a smiley.

“What a mysterious spectacle it is!”, others say, as if it were photos from a nature documentary.

Many just think the scenes are touching: “These parents and grandparents just have so much love!”

By Manya Koetse & Miranda Barnes
Follow @whatsonweibo

The post Kidnappers? Crazy Fans? No, It’s Chinese Parents on Their Kids’ First Day at School appeared first on What's on Weibo.

While some call it a wonder tool, others say it’s a nightmare for employees. Ding Ding, Alibaba’s mobile and desktop app for companies, is gaining popularity across China. With its GPS-based features and other nifty functions, companies can now monitor the whereabouts of their employees.

It has been over 2,5 years since Alibaba launched its ‘enterprise app’ Ding Ding (钉钉). In February of 2015, websites such as TechCrunch and TechinAsia described the app as a new mobile and desktop program for businesses that aimed to compete with Tencent’s WeChat – China’s top messaging app.

At the time, Ding Ding (also known as DingTalk) was only available in Chinese. But the app, now updated to the 3.5.3 version, has become readily available in English on Chinese app stores, Google Play, and Apple stores.

Its use by companies across China is picking up. The app has now been downloaded 50.5 million times on the Huawei store, 27 million times on the Tencent app store, 20+ million times on the Oppo app store, 12 million times on the Baidu app store, and 8.5 million times on the 360 Mobile Assistant app store.

Smart mobile office

More companies across China are now using the app as a ‘smart mobile office’: it functions as a messaging app among colleagues, a tool for making conference calls, but more importantly, as a program that makes it easy for employees to clock in and out of work and for employers to check their whereabouts.

“Our company just started implementing it. Nobody gave us any warning,” an employee named Bryan Lee (alias) of a middle-sized Beijing educational company told What’s on Weibo this week: “I’ve spoken to many people of other companies here who also started to use it recently.”

Ding Ding has many functions, and in some ways is meant to replace WeChat as a work tool. The app allows users to create team groups, and also functions as an address book that shows the organizational structure of the company. Users can directly contact the HR group or other colleagues through Ding Ding.

According to Alibaba, ‘DingTalk’ is a “multi-sided platform” that “empowers small and medium-sized business to communicate effectively.” The app’s functions include, amongst others, the following features:

– Ding Ding is a global address book that allows users to view the organization’s structure in a glance and contact everyone, but also shows contacts outside of the company (suppliers, business partners, etc.) and functions as a customer information management system.
– The program is also a calendar for creating tasks and meetings.
– Ding Ding is an instant messaging app designed for office use, supporting both private and group chats and supporting file transfers. To improve communication efficiency, all types of messaging display read/unread statuses.
– The app’s ‘Ding It’ function makes sure recipients never miss a message by alerting them through phone, SMS, or in-app notification. Companies can also send out a voice message or hold a conference call to make sure their message is heard.
– The Secret Chat function works like SnapChat, making messages traceless and self-deleting for ultimate privacy and protection.
– Through its Smart Attendance System companies can keep track of employee’s attendance and overtime records; employees can clock-in and out of work in an instant. The software also automatically generates attendance reports.
– Ding Ding can process approvals by electronically dealing with request for leaves, business trips or reimbursements. Approvals for business trips and leave are automatically linked with attendance records.
– DingTalk is also a high-definition video conferencing system and allows users to also start free individual calls.
– Ding Ding has its own business cloud (or “Ding drive”) feature, making file saving and sharing a quick and easy task, also between PC and mobile.
– DingTalk’s email inbox also makes it possible to receive email notifications in chats.

Despite the myriad of functions, or actually because of them, some employees call the app a ‘catastrophe’ for office staff.

Big boss is watching you

“Since Ding Ding is GPS-activated, I will be signed in when I get to work. And when I leave work, it will clock me out,” Lee says.

The app’s clocking system is one of its most used functions and allows companies to track whether their employees arrive late at work or whether they are working overtime.

**“Clock out successful. Got off work 18:04.”**

There is a positive side to it for employees since there is much less paperwork to fill out when, for example, asking compensation for overtime work. Lee notes that people can also electronically apply for a leave of absence through Ding Ding.

But the downside is that there is no room for white lies anymore. Because of the app’s geotagging function, the employer can actually check if you really are seeing the doctor (as you said you were going to).

“Through Ding Ding you can report where you are for your company. If you requested a leave of absence to go to the hospital, for example, you can bookmark the location so that your company knows you really are at the location where you are supposed to be. Same goes for business-related appointments – if your company requires it, you tag the location so they can see that you are where you said you were going, so they won’t deduct your salary for that.”

“People have a lot of different views on it,” Lee says: “I am always at work when I need to be and I never cheat the system. So I think it is very convenient that I no longer need to take my phone and scan a QR code every day to log in to work, which used to be mafan [trouble] – this is much easier. But a lot of people think it is somewhat Orwellian. They do not monitor your everyday moves but if you actually go drinking with your friends instead of going to a doctor as you told your boss, then that might get you in trouble.”

Apart from the location-tagging function, which may or may not be required/activated by the company, there are also other functions that many people do not like. Ding Ding, unlike WeChat, automatically shows that your message has been delivered and read. It also allows a company to send out a ‘Ding alert’ (which notifies recipients through phone call/SMS/In-App alerts) to make sure everybody gets the message.

On Q&A platform Zhihu.com, user ‘Aurora’, who works at a HR company, tells how this has made life more troublesome for office staff:

“The rapid growth of Ding Ding lies in the fact that it meets the requirements of its user – the boss. Just imagine: you’re in the midst of finishing a proposal when the boss sends you a message saying you need to come over to bring them a certain file.

Before using Ding Ding:

1. You see the message. You finish the last part of your proposal before bringing over the file to your boss a bit later.
2. You don’t see the message. You finish your task and take a break. You then see the message and take care of it.
3. No matter if you see did or did not see the message, the boss notices you did not respond and gives you a call.

Since using Ding Ding:

1. You see the message. Your boss gets a ‘message read’ (已读) confirmation and you have no other option than to break off your work and immediately take care of it.
2. You haven’t seen it. So your boss sends you a ‘ding alert’ and you have no other option but to read it, break off your work, and immediately take care of it.”

Aurora also writes that Ding Ding is completely made to comply with the demands of the company’s managers rather than their staff. For office staff, it is not convenient to have to respond to the boss’s wishes immediately – it can disturb their everyday tasks and adds stress to their job. For the manager, on the other hand, it has become very easy to reach the staff: they do not even need to pick up the phone anymore, and can reach whoever they want right away.

Unhappy Dingers

On Weibo, many people share Aurora’s views and are not too happy with Ding Ding. “I’ve had enough with this app! It reminds me every single morning to clock in to work!”

**“You have to be at work in 12 minutes, don’t forget to clock in!”**

Others also complain that the app only adds to the time they spend looking at their phone: “If it’s not my QQ group, then it’s my WeChat group or my Ding Ding group – it seems I am looking at my phone screen all day,” one Weibo user says.

There are also people who note that they are hardly ever really free from work anymore. As one Xiamen worker writes: “I had the morning off. But I had hundreds of WeChat messages, dozens of Ding Ding messages, and three missed phone calls. This is ruining me.”

“With this Ding Ding app it seems like no matter what time it is or where you are, you’re just always at work,” another complaint said.

“It looks like they are going to implement Ding Ding at my office. I just want to punch the person who invented this app.”

But despite all the backlash and complaints, Ding Ding’s popularity as an office solution for immediate workplace communication and registering employee’s working hours is on the rise.

On the app’s review page on the Huawei store, some call it “the best office application.” Others also note that the app is not just convenient, but also free: “It is very practical, and it has saved me the costs for other office management software.”

Other reviewers also seem much more enthusiastic than the complaining netizens on Weibo: “In our office, it’s become an essential tool – and its functions just keep getting better and better.”

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post WeChat for the Workplace: The Rising Popularity of Enterprise App Ding Ding appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Full translation of the suicide note left on Chinese social media by Su Xiangmao, founder of the WePhone app, on September 7:

See full story here

“I am the founder of the WePhone app, and today I have to go. The app cannot continue, and I am sorry about that. I would have never expected things to turn out this way. It was my extremely vicious ex-wife Zhai Xinxin who killed me in the end.

I met her on Jiayuan [a Chinese marriage/dating site, MK] and already spent thousands of dollars on her before we even married. It wasn’t until the day before tying the knot that she told me she’d actually been married for a short time some years ago (that guy also ended up paying her 200,000 yuan [±$30,700]).

I accepted it. I did not cheat during the month we were married, there was no violence, but I lost my love for her. The main reason for that was the fact she liked to make up lies about things, which left me with this horrible feeling. She wasn’t the same woman I’d brought to my home town, I realized how hateful she actually was. We both raised the topic of divorce together.

While we were preparing the divorce papers, she often brought people to my house to harass me, or she made them call me. That vicious woman eventually used 2 points to blackmail me:

1. That I personally was guilty of tax evasion and that she would report me for that.

2. That the WePhone app online call-function was a ‘gray business,’ and that she would use her uncle Liu Kejian (who is a big government official according to her) to take my app offline and make sure I’d lose a fortune in fines.

She went as far as to demand 10.000.000 RMB [±1.5 million US$] from me as well as my house in Sanya. She also asked some low-life gangster lawyers to intimidate me.

I admit I was a coward, and hid in the bar for a few days. I became so mentally and physically exhausted that I finally signed those evil divorce papers in a very muddled and mixed-up state of mind.

Just thinking of this now shames me like nothing else, this divorce agreement now hounds me to death. Each and every word in this agreement was carefully placed there. The main point is, that she clearly prepared to report me anyway after paying her this money, so she added a sentence ‘the debt on the man’s side has nothing to do with the woman.’

I feel so desperate.

All my funds are gone, I am really desperate.

I didn’t ask my family for help in time. And now it is too late to regret it. They are fantastic people and would come from my hometown to support me at any time, but I was fighting this battle by myself in Beijing. It led to me making a series of foolish decisions.

Zhai Xinxin: [adds phonenumer, left out here], [mobile phone number], [address].”

我是WePhone 的开发者，今天我就要走了，App以后无法运营了，抱歉。我从来没想过我是这样的结局，我竟然被我极其歹毒的前妻翟欣欣给逼死了。

我跟她在世纪佳缘认识，结婚前我已经在她身上花了几百万的钱，领证前一天她才告诉我几年前有段简短婚史（也是以告男方获利20万元结束）我也忍了，一个多月的婚姻期间也无出轨、暴力行为，但我失去了对她喜欢的感觉，关键她爱撒谎，极有心机，让我觉得有种恐怖的感觉，这点跟以前她到我老家时完全不一样，我现在才知道心机婊有多可恶。离婚是一起提出的，准备离婚时，她经常带人来我家骚扰我，或者电话骚扰，恶毒的她竟然用两点来要挟我：

1. 我个人有漏税行为，要举报我

2. WePhone有网络电话功能是灰色运营，各种暗示能利用她亲戚舅舅刘克俭（据她说是不小的公安局的官）的关系让我产品下架罚款、倾家荡产

她竟然索要1000万天价还有三亚的房子归她。还请了个素质极低的流氓律师各种恐吓我。

我承认自己当时太懦弱，在酒店里躲了几天后，身心俱疲，最后竟然无头无脑地签了那个万恶的离婚协议，现在想起来极其羞愤不已，就这个离婚协议把我逼死了，这个协议里每个字都精心设计，关键是，她明显准备在我付完全款后继续各种举报我，所以加了一句 “男方债务与女方无关”

我感到很绝望。

我资金链已经断裂，实在很绝望。

我没有及时跟我家人求助，现在后悔莫及。他们都那么棒，随时都能从老家过来支援我，我却在北京孤军奋战，作出一系列很傻的决定。

翟欣欣，37090….，手机 +86 152….，住址：北京市朝阳区……, 工作地点：北京房地…..。

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Suicide Note of WePhone Founder Su Xiangmao (Translation) appeared first on What's on Weibo.

It is the dramatic narrative behind the tragedy that has captured Chinese netizens – especially because a large part of this story takes place online.

A suicide note and online revenge

Shortly before his death, Su published his suicide note on social media which revealed his grievance about the nasty divorce between him and his ex-wife Zhai Xinxin (翟欣欣).

See full translation of suicide note here

In the suicide note, Su says it is “vicious woman” Zhai who actually killed him. He ends the public note with her home address, phone number, and office address.

An app notification sent to all users of WePhone said: “The owner of this company is killed by his evil wife Zhai Xinxin [phone number]. WePhone is suspending its services!”

In search of the truth

They also say that during the time they were married, Su spent no less than 13 million yuan (nearly 2M$) on Zhai in buying her a house and a Tesla car.

On September 12, Zhai’s uncle Liu Kejian also stated that he had no part in any situation involving Mr. Su, and that he had never even met him.

Jiayuan issued a statement regarding the case, saying the couple were its VIP members. The dating site also said it will assist in any police investigation into Su’s death.

“A second Ma Rong”

To some extent, the WePhone founder case resembles the 2016 divorce case of Wang Baoqiang and Ma Rong. Uncoincidentally, many netizens on Weibo refer to Su’s ex-wife as “a second Ma Rong.”

On September 12, a new website was set up by Chinese netizens (zhaixinxin.com), fully dedicated to the WePhone case and exposing the alleged lies by Zhai.

As one netizen (@猎头老王V) says: “I want to know how the country will deal with the Zhai Xixi case. We need answers so Su Xiangmao can rest in peace.”

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Thanks to contributors Sidney Wu & Miranda Barnes

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Questions Surrounding Tragic Suicide of WePhone Founder Su Xiangmao appeared first on What's on Weibo.

One of China’s most successful and long-lasting talk shows has suddenly been canceled after nearly 20 years.

Without further official statements, the TV show announced its termination on its Weibo channel on September 12:

“Because the company’s programs have been adjusted, we will stop broadcasting. Thank you for the many years. Hope to meet again.”

The announcement was soon shared over 31,000 times on Weibo.

In the past, the show also hosted guests from Hong Kong with a critical stance towards Chinese politics.

“A sudden goodbye, but I will cherish the memory forever.”

“This just makes me want to cry,” others said.

One Weibo commenter posted a long goodbye letter to the show, saying that its 5000 + episodes over these past 19 years have been especially important to those born in post-1970s and post-1980s China.

One netizen had another way to look at the news: “That a Chinese talk show has been able to survive for 19 years – that’s a miracle in itself,” they wrote.

Older episodes of the show can still be viewed on the ‘Behind the Headlines’ Youtube channel.

By Manya Koetse and Diandian Guo
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Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post One of China’s Longest-Running and Most Popular Talkshows Suddenly Cancelled appeared first on What's on Weibo.

A personal story by a Weibo netizen about an altercation with a Muslim man on the Bund in Shanghai has stirred wide debate on Chinese social media. The case has evoked both anti-Islamic sentiments and anger about censorship in the name of ‘ethnic unity.’

The account of a female Weibo user nicknamed ‘Ningsuk’ sparked a storm of debate over the past few days after the woman explained in detail how she was allegedly harassed by a Muslim man in Shanghai on the night of September 14th.

On her Weibo account, the woman wrote that she was “attacked by a Middle Eastern-looking Muslim man” and that the man also told her he was an Arab Muslim.

The incident caused a wave of online anger for various reasons. At first, her story mainly triggered anti-Islamic sentiment. When ‘Ningsuk’ later wrote on Weibo that her posts about the incident had been deleted for “undermining ethnic unity,” netizens were outraged about the alleged censorship of the story.

NINGSUK’S ACCOUNT

“He told me that there are many Arabs/Muslims in this area, and that they are all united.”

On the evening of September 15, Ningsuk wrote her initial long account on Weibo of the incident that happened on Thursday night.

In her account, she writes that she arrived in Shanghai to meet her friend on Thursday after taking the train from Beijing. Since her friend was not able to meet her at the train station, they had agreed to meet later at the Starbucks on the Bund, where ‘Ningsuk’ arrived at 8.00 pm.

As ‘Ningsuk’ was having a coffee in the outside seating area, she writes that “a man with an Arabic appearance” asked her if the seat next to her was taken, joined her at the table, and started talking to her in Mandarin, asking if she was alone. “I told him I was waiting for my boyfriend,” the woman writes.

The woman then describes how the man took on a threatening tone: “He told me that there are many Arabs/Muslims in this area and that they are all united, unlike Chinese who just mind their own business. He said that with one phone call, he could have many people come over.”

Because ‘Ningsuk’ was meeting her friend there, had all her luggage with her, and her phone was almost out of battery, she did not want the situation to escalate, she writes. As he the man spoke to her about his “many friends,” she tried to reach her friend and told her to hurry.

When the man pulled his chair towards the woman and cornered her, saying “he did not have bad intentions,” and put his hands on her shoulder for “taking a picture,” she got up and ran into the Starbucks.

She writes: “He followed me inside [the shop] and forcefully grabbed me and pulled me to the corner. At this point, I started to shake and he continued to say that there were many (Muslim) people in the area that he could call over with one phone call.”

When the man then grabbed her and tried to pull out of the Starbucks, she ran behind the cashier’s desk and asked the staff for help. The man left the store, she writes, but waited for her outside and came back in at one time and attempted to slap the woman before the Starbuck’s manager stepped in and made him leave again.

After the woman’s friend arrived, the two women were threatened by the man once more outside the store before finally leaving together.

ONLINE ANGER OVER CENSORSHIP

“I should not cause racial tensions – the police contacted me.”

Ningsuk’s post received thousands of comments and over 30,000 shares. Many people responded with indignation, with some saying: “This is how it starts (..) we as Han Chinese have no feeling of safety (..).”

Triggering so many reactions, Ningsuk’s story was deleted not long after its initial publication.

The deletion also stirred much anger on Weibo, where many netizens suggested the post was only shut down because it involved a Muslim man and that personal safety issues matter more than ethnical sensitivities.

The woman ‘Ningsuk’ later posted: “I should not cause racial tensions – the police contacted me. I’m safe now, the original post has been deleted.”

She also confirmed to her followers that local authorities had reached out to her, that she met with them and that they were investigating the case. She also said that people were banned from commenting on any of her posts regarding this story.

SUSPECT ARRESTED

“I am very, very shocked that it turns out he is actually a Chinese person.”

On September 16, Shanghai police released a statement that they had detained a 23-year-old man for “repeatedly harassing [the] girl after he was drunk on Thursday.” According to the woman, the police stated the suspect was a Muslim of Chinese nationality.

She wrote: “They got him. The police let me see the person’s identity card and name. I am also very, very shocked that it turns out he is actually a Chinese person from a certain region. I asked the police whether or not he admitted that he had said he was an Arabic man and the police told me he admitted this, and that he says he talked big talk because he had too much to drink [that night]. They also have verified that he is a Muslim.”

Within 24 hours, her last post was also shared over 26000 times.

Many netizens commented that they were happy the police arrested the suspect, but that it still did not validate the censorship of the woman’s story. There are also people who praise the woman for “having the courage” to put her story online despite its sensitivity.

“A girl is harassed by a Muslim man in a public place. Then all she does is she goes home and tells about it on Weibo. Then the relevant departments are directly on the phone and warn her not to destroy national unity, and then the police take her to ‘drink tea’ and then the post is completely deleted. This whole issue is not a mystery,” one person responded.

STATE MEDIA RESPONDS

“The online sentiments are complicated, and most Internet users are convinced that the reason the woman’s post was deleted is because she said her harasser was Muslim.”

On Monday, Chinese state tabloid Global Times responded to the issue through its ‘opinion column’ by Shan Renping (单仁平), saying that it is only the woman who confirmed the man was indeed Muslim and that the police gave no official statement about his background.

“The online sentiments are complicated, and most Internet users are convinced that the reason the woman’s post was deleted is because she said her harasser was Muslim. They are also unhappy with the fact the police did not [publicly] reveal the identity of the suspect.”

The column stresses that the Chinese state will prosecute everybody equally based on their crime and not their race, ethnicity or religion: “No matter who breaks the law (..) it does not matter what race or religion they are, the officials will always handle it according to law without any hesitation.”

It also said that officials always hide religious and/or ethnical identities of people involved in crime reports to “maintain national and religious harmony.” Although there might be negative consequences to this policy, the article says, the “other negative consequences”- if they do report all suspect backgrounds – “will be even worse.”

The article said that “some people are prejudiced about the measures taken by the State to protect Muslims, as they think it is unfair. We should take their ideas seriously.” It argued that the existing problems with Muslims in Western society has “also influenced Chinese society to some extent.”

The article concludes that when it comes to handling national religious affairs, “we must believe in the Party, the country, and the government because they will do what is good for the people.”

By Manya Koetse,Miranda Barnes, Richard Barnes
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Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Story of Shanghai Bund “Attack by Muslim Man” Triggers Online Furor in China appeared first on What's on Weibo.

A document issued by the Chinese film, TV & radio industry association states that celebrities in Chinese TV dramas should no longer receive ‘excessive’ salaries. Top-earning stars’ high fees are considered ‘harmful’ for a healthy development of China’s entertainment industry.

On September 22, the China Alliance of Radio, Film, and Television (CARFT) issued a statement regarding the pay of actors in Chinese television dramas, Xinhua News reports.

The CARFT, a non-profit organization that works under the government, orders China’s production agencies to limit the expenses for cast salaries to no more than 40% of the total production costs for online/TV drama series. Within this percentage, the salary of the show’s leading actors cannot exceed 70% of the total salary paid to all actors.

The measurement is meant to improve the “healthy and orderly development of the [entertainment] industry.” China produces the largest amount of television dramas in the world.

According to DW News, around 50% to 70% of current total TV drama production investments goes to actors’ salaries; in countries such as the US, Korea, or Japan, this is only 10% to 20%.

In 2016, the lead actors for the 90-episode Chinese TV drama Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, actress Zhou Xun and actor Wallace Huo, each made $22.5 million. The series production costs were $1.35 million per episode.

Chinese actress Angelababy is one of China’s top-earning actresses. She makes around $200,000 for every episode.

It is not the first time the high fees of Chinese actors make headlines. In 2016, The Beijing Review reported that Chinese stars’ salaries were under fire for being excessively high. A member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Sun Baoshu, stated that since casting takes up such a large part of production funds, producers have to cut budgets for things such as scriptwriting, stage setting, and sound recording. This leads to poorer productions, Sun said, harming the development of China’s entertainment market.

On Weibo, many netizens expressed their support for the latest measure, although others said it would be better if authorities would not meddle so much with the entertainment industry. “The higher ups have policies, while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them” (“上有政策，下有对策”), one user said, meaning that production companies and actors will always find other ways to channel money in the industry.

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

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The post Celebrities in Chinese TV Dramas Can No Longer Receive Excessive Salaries appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Chinese authorities have recently blocked various Islam-related words invented by Chinese netizens. The ban comes after consecutive online controversies on the topic of Chinese Muslims and Islam in China; the tone of the discussions reportedly “undermines ethnic unity.”

Posts containing terms such as “green religion” and “peaceful religion,” or any other online terms relating to Islam or Muslims invented by Chinese netizens, are currently banned from Chinese social media.

Chinese state media outlet Global Times reports that the ban comes amid an online backlash against national policies which some deem “overly favorable to Muslim minorities.”

Anti-Islamic Sentiments on Weibo

Anti-Islamic sentiments have been on the rise on Weibo over recent years, and often peak when people disagree with alleged “affirmative discrimination policies” toward Chinese Muslim minorities. China has an estimated 23 million Muslims.

One such incident occurred in 2016, when a Chinese university introduced separate shower cabins for Muslim students that offered complete privacy, while the ordinary dorm showers are usually open.

The case triggered anger online, especially among students, of whom some wrote: “I also have the f**cking rule that nobody should see me shower, am I going to have an exclusive shower cabin now?”

In July, online reports about the introduction of ‘Halal Only’ food delivery boxes also evoked anger as it sparked discussions about the ‘halalifaction‘ of food in China.

Image of food delivery box that says “special use for halal food.”

A very recent incident involved a case where a girl was harassed by a Muslim man on the Bund in Shanghai. When her online report was taken offline, and police did not give out any background details about the suspect, Weibo users complained that religious sensitivities were placed above personal safety.

Another incident took place in Tangshan in early September, where an alleged altercation took place between Muslim minorities and local staff at a toll station. Online rumors about the incident triggered a wave of anti-Islam comments, and videos of the incident were soon after deleted from Chinese social media.

“The Green Religion”

On Chinese social media, Islam is often referred to as the “peaceful religion” (和平教) or the “green religion” (绿教). While the first is mostly meant sarcastically, the second comes from the importance of the color green in Islam and is meant to refer to the religion in a negative way.

In the same type of derisive, derogatory online speak, Muslims are often referred to as “the greens” (绿绿) on Weibo. ‘Greenification’ (绿化) is another online word, meaning ‘Islamization.’

At the time of writing, abovementioned online terms such as “green religion” or “peaceful religion” were all banned from Weibo’s search function and showed no results.

*No search results for ‘green religion’ on Weibo.*

In its recent article, Global Times quoted a Beijing professor in saying that “it is necessary to timely remove radical phrases that discriminate against Islam and are biased against Muslims to prevent worsening online hatred towards the group” and that these online terms “severely undermine religious harmony and ethnic unity.”

In a Global Times column earlier this week, editor Shan Renpin conveyed a similar message in saying that there “might be negative consequences” to the government’s “protection of the harmony with minority groups and religions,” but that “overall, if the authorities would not do it this way, the other negative consequences are likely to be more serious.” (“这样做确实有时会有负面效果，但是综合起来看，如果官方不这样做，另外的负面效果很可能更大.”)

Ongoing discussions: Halal Mooncake

Despite the recent ban on certain terms, Chinese netizens still find ways to discuss Islam-related controversies. On Friday, another topic triggered heated discussions regarding halal mooncakes.

With the Chinese national Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) holiday nearing, many people discussed how a Chinese university stated that all of their mooncakes (the traditional snack for this festival) will be halal in consideration for their Muslim students.

Beijing’s University Of International Business And Economics (对外贸易经济大学) issued a notice on September 22 (see below) regarding the mooncakes, saying “to respect the traditions of our Muslim students, all our mooncakes will be made from halal ingredients.”

The issue attracted hundreds of comments, with many saying: “Don’t these schools know that Muslims don’t even celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?”

“Respect the Muslims – for this minority, we all have to eat halal.”

“Since when did the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival become a Muslim festival?”

Although much of the anger in this discussion is directed more so at the school’s organization (“Why does 99% of the people have to adapt for the 1%?”) than at its Muslim students, it does also include much hate speech towards Muslims in general.

One thing the latest controversy shows is that despite the fact that these discussions are now more heavily censored, their tone and terms are the same as before.

Although Global Times asserts that China’s “favorable policies” are intended to maintain ‘social harmony’ and accelerate ‘greater ethnic unity,’ most netizens commenting on these issues do not seem to be on the same page. Typical comments said: “How can they say we’re harming national unity by talking about Muslims?” and “I just don’t understand [..]. When did religion become a minority? Can a religion represent minorities?”

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post No More Online Anti-Islam Terms Allowed on Weibo – but Discussions Continue Anyway appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Even a costly 8-ft tall Costco teddy bear could not help this fu’erdai rich kid win the love of the girl he likes. She rejected the boy, but took the tall bear – which has become a hot item among Chinese exchange students.

An 8-ft (2,4 mt) tall bear has drawn a lot of attention at Hangzhou Normal University on September 25. A rich student drove the enormous teddy bear to campus with his Porsche car on Monday, to show his love to the girl he likes.

Photos of the spectacle were posted on Weibo and on a Hangzhou Normal University WeChat account, where people reported that the girl rejected the young man, but kept the teddy bear.

According to the Weibo account of China Newsweek Magazine, the bear is a hit among Chinese fu’erdai who are studying abroad. “Almost everyone has bought one by now,” Newsweek writes.

Costsco is one of America’s biggest warehouses, with overseas branches in, amongst others, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The 8-feet tall bears have been on sale since 2015.

Currently, there are only three of these Costco teddy bears available in the mainland, according to China Newsweek. But on Taobao, dozens of similar bears are sold for around 800-900 RMB (±$120-$136).

Although many people on WeChat and Weibo found the story funny, there are also many people who say it is just another marketing stunt. Over the past few years, brands or companies often stage a spectacular scene in hopes it will go viral on social media. Sometimes it is to advertise a product, but it could also be about the posters in the background of the scene.

If this indeed concerns a marketing stunt, it is not clear who is behind it. “It must be a Costco campaign,” some say, while others think the scene has been set up by online warehouse TMall.com.

But there are also many netizens who do believe the scene is real: “This is what China’s nouveau riche kids do – flaunt their wealth,” many commented. Others were more concerned with the behavior of the girl: “She rejected the man, but accepted the bear?!”

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Rich Kid Buys Girl 8-Foot Tall Costco Teddy Bear, Gets Rejected appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Millions of Chinese use the National Holiday period to go out and visit some of China’s most scenic spots. But some areas are so crowded and unorganized that the situation is perilous. On Weibo, people complain about the security hazards of China’s overcrowded tourist attractions.

As people across China are celebrating the Golden Week holiday, the country’s scenic spots are packed with tourists.

Huge crowds formed a potential safety hazard at the Seven Small Arches (Xiaoqikong) scenic area in Libo County, Guizhou (image via Weibo).

This year, many people on Weibo are especially complaining about the situation at the Seven Small Arches (Xiaoqikong) scenic area in Libo County, Guizhou.

On Sunday, Pear Video reported on Weibo that the roads leading to the sightseeing spot were so jammed that some foreign tourists decided to get out their car to play a game of frisbee on the expressway.

On Monday, the situation seemed even worse, as some Weibo netizens posted that the extreme crowds in the area led to people being stuck for over three hours in the heat, with no available food or water, and no people to manage the situation.

Not just the roads to the area were jammed, people were also stuck within the area waiting for buses – sometimes for two to three hours, according to visitors’ reports.

“Such a chaos!” some visitors wrote online: “And no staff members to maintain order, no mechanisms to respond to emergency situations.”

One netizen (@小蜗牛牛儿) posted a that a SWAT team eventually came to the scene to check on the situation.

“First I drive 3 hours to Libo, then it still takes me 3 hours to actually reach the scenic spot, then I catch a glimpse of the Seven Small Arches and the day was gone like this. You really don’t control this well, you shouldn’t let in so many people,” one person complained on Weibo.

“Of all the scenic attractions I’ve ever visited, the Seven Small Arches left the worst impression on me,” netizen (@飞骑引雕弓2016) said: “We waited for two hours on the rocks in the heat before we could get on the bus, people are getting heatstroke this way!”

“This is the first time I experienced a traffic jam within a scenic spot!” another commenter, who also visited the area on Monday, wrote on Weibo.

“The Seven Small Arches area is receiving too many visitors, creating huge congestion. People are currently fighting to get on the bus,” another visitor wrote, warning local authorities about the potentially hazardous situation.

China’s scenic spots yearly attract attention for becoming too crowded during the national holiday. During these days, places such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and many other tourist attractions are so crowded that people can hardly move.

The Seven Small Arches Xiaoqikong scenic spot covers an area of 10 square kilometers, and is known for its karst forest, beautiful scenery, and numerous waterfalls.

A young woman from Sichuan posted on social media: “I understand that there are a lot of people here. But it’s past six o’clock and we’ve been waiting for over an hour for the tour bus to pick us up and it hasn’t come. So many people here and it’s soon getting dark, we’re over ten kilometers away from the exit and cannot walk so far. We don’t have food and it’s hot. Nobody is answering on the complaint line, and still, the entrance ticket to the park is so expensive!”

On Monday night, other visitors posted that they had been waiting for over four hours in the dark for a bus to pick them up from the scene.

“I will never come back here,” they wrote.

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Holiday Chaos: China’s Scenic Areas Overcrowded and Dangerous appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Chinese talented photographer and popular cosplayer Liu Youling, better known as Jovie, has drowned in a pool in Saipan during an underwater shoot. On Weibo, fans mourn her death.

The 25-year-old Liu Youying (刘宥灵), a photographer, model, and cosplayer from Xinjiang, has drowned during a work-related visit to Saipan Island.

Liu, who was better known by her nickname ‘Jovie’, had over 155.870 fans on her Weibo account, and was particularly popular in Hangzhou, where she worked as a freelancer.

Photo by Liu, as posted on her Weibo account.

Jovie was a relatively well-known ‘coser’ or ‘cosplayer’ (‘cos’ coming from ‘costume’), meaning she often wore costumes and fashion accessories – sometimes self-made – to represent a specific character or historical figure.

Cosplay has been steadily gaining popularity in China over the past couple of years.

Liu Youling ‘Jovie’

Liu, who was born in Shixenze in Xinjiang in 1992, was a graduate of the Sichuan Media College and lived in Hangzhou after her graduation.

Besides photographing, Jovie did a lot of cosplay modeling herself.

Sina News reports that Liu first became interested in dressing up and photographing at the age of 15. Since a few years ago, she shared her work on social media through Weibo and her own blog.

Liu reportedly drowned on September 25 while doing an underwater photography shoot in the pool of her Saipan hotel with two other women. Although the three women entered the shallow water at the Sea Fun Villa, they got into trouble when they drifted off to the deep side.

“They did not know how to swim in the deepwater area,” two of Liu’s friends told Sina News: “The other two women also went down, but they were found earlier and could be rescued.”

For Liu, rescue came too late. She was pulled up from the water by hotel staff after 3 minutes and initially was taken to the hospital in a state of coma. She passed away on September 27.

“Just 25 years, far too young,” many netizens wrote on Weibo, one person saying: “Since she loved ancient costumes, I hope that she can now choose the dynasty she wants to go to.”

“Every day I check your Weibo in the hopes to see an update on your blog,” another netizen wrote: “I hope it is all just one big joke.”

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Netizens Mourn Death of 25-Year-Old Cosplayer Liu Youling appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Since 2003, China Central Television (CCTV) has been broadcasting its weekly news show ‘World Weekly’ (世界周刊) on 22.15 every Sunday night. The programme is presented by journalist Shui Junyi (水均益).

On China’s National Day, October 1st, the story of What’s on Weibo and how it was founded was featured in a special about ‘China and the World.’

See the segment here and turn subtitles on for English. For the entire show (no subtitles) see the CCTV broadcasting website.

For a behind-the-scenes peek of CCTV visiting the What’s on Weibo headquarters in Amsterdam, check out the video below.

The post CCTV News Features Story About What’s on Weibo appeared first on What's on Weibo.

A violent attack on a female sanitation worker has triggered public outrage in China, especially since one of the aggressors is a professor at the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology.

On October 4th, a netizen from Tianjin (@查派017) posted about a violent incident he witnessed that involved a female street cleaner and two persons, one being a professor from the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology. The two allegedly beat up a female sanitation worker for blocking their way on a road outside the university campus in Xi’an.

The person’s Weibo post about the incident was shared over 93,000 times within 24 hours, attracting ten thousands of comments from angry netizens.

“How much money do I make and how much money do you make?”

This is a full translation of the post*, which was published on Sina Weibo along with several screenshots of a video of the incident.

“On October 4, 2017, around 2 in the afternoon, a male and female college staff member beat up a female sanitation worker. I want to expose these two pieces of scum.”

“I was just resting indoors when I heard a loud weeping coming from outside the window. I initially thought that parents were teaching their child a lesson, but after a few minutes, the crying grew louder and it did not sound like a child. From the window I then saw a female sanitation worker slowly getting up from a pile of garbage, while a woman was pushing her, yelling: ‘How much money do I make and how much money do you make? You’re now keeping me from making money!'”

Blood on the floor at the scene where the beating took place.

“At this time, a man came forward to beat the female cleaner, and I shouted from my window: ‘You are bullying a sanitation worker, you are shameless!’ At this point, they discovered that other people were watching them, and they stopped what they were doing. The man wanted to back up his car and get away, but he was already stopped by some of the neighbors around.”

““As I rushed to the scene, the man shouted at me: ‘She let me beat her herself!’ The woman’s attitude was still bad. Before reporting to the police, I shot a video and told them I would expose them. Again their attitude changed, and at this time there were more and more people who were criticizing them. An older man told me that the man had hit the sanitation worker and that he had kicked her several times.”

The female cleaner, whose identity remains unknown, was beaten, pushed, and kicked.

“While filing a report at the police station, there was a man who said he was the man’s assistant, and he explained to the police that the man originally came from the countryside but that he had lived in Japan and the US for some years before returning home and that he does not understand the situation here and that was why he beat someone.“

The alleged aggressors were filmed by bystanders.

“That infuriated me. As if he could just randomly beat up people in other countries? I also understood from his assistant that the man was a professor working for the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, that he was a doctor who had just been given a 10 million yuan project, and that he hoped we would not expose him. I heard that the woman works at the human resource department of Shaanxi University. I am writing this after just coming back from the police station – I hope to let everyone know that these kinds of worthless people are not fit to be a teacher.“

Of the thousands of people who commented on the post, the majority mainly criticizes the male professor involved in this incident and is enraged that someone with such a high social status would pick on someone so vulnerable.

“It is the Mid-Autumn Festival and you are having your vacation while this sanitation worker is at work. How can you be so low, you have no humanity in you. As a professor, you are unfit to teach!”, one angry commenter wrote.

“It is clear that educational background and moral standing are not directly connected,” another person said.

“Just suspended? Why not immediately fired?”

Shortly after published, the post triggered the so-called ‘human flesh search engine’ (人肉搜索), meaning that netizens worked together to identify and expose the persons involved in controversial incidents.

One commenter soon came up with personal details of the man involved, stating he was a 38-year-old Shaanxi resident by the name of Ge who was indeed working as a professor and had previously lived and studied abroad, being connected to both the Kyoto Institute of Technology and the University of Oklahoma.

On October 5, Chinese state media also reported the incident and confirmed it indeed involved a certain Dr. Ge who was a teacher at the Shaanxi University. They also wrote that the university has now suspended the man from his post and that local authorities are currently investigating the case.

“Just suspended? Why was he not immediately fired?”, many commenters wondered.

Chinese media have not reported on the status of the woman involved in the violent beating, but Shaanxi University has stated that she does not work at their institution, but is a family member of Ge.

“These kinds of people do not belong in education.”

Since the incident has attracted so much attention within just one day, the professor has apologized to the sanitation worker and her family through a letter.

The letter issued by the involved professor on October 5.

The letter was posted on the official Weibo account of the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, which wrote that “Mr. Ge has realized that his actions are terribly wrong, and is active in [arranging] medical treatment for the person involved.”

The university also made a public statement that it strongly denounced Mr. Ge’s actions and that they were taking the matter very seriously.

The apology-letter post also received over 25,000 comments within hours. Many people say they do not accept Mr. Ge’s apology, and demand that he immediately gets fired, writing that “these kinds of people do not belong in education.”

This image of the beaten and crying street cleaner is going viral on Chinese social media.

Sanitation workers or street cleaners do not have an easy life in China, and face many difficulties. Although they are nicknamed “angels of the road” (马路天使), their working circumstances are far from heaven.

Public cleaners in China generally work long hours and receive the national minimum pay. Normally there is no workstation for workers to take a break or recover from the extreme heat or cold. Working safety is also an important issue, as street cleaners are exposed to dangerous situations when cleaning roads with busy traffic. Street cleaners are often get injured or even die due to road accidents.

To increase public awareness and appreciation for the work of street cleaners, October 26 has turned into a special day in China to honor the country’s street cleaners and sanitation workers.

By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo

*Original post text:
“2017年10月4日，下午两点左右，一男一女两名大学老师殴打环卫女工。曝光这两个人渣。
我正在屋子准备休息，听见窗外有人大声哭泣，最开始以为是家长在教训小孩，过了几分钟哭声越来越大，而且仔细听不像是小孩。从窗户上看到，一名女环卫工从垃圾堆里慢慢爬起来，一名女的推搡这环卫工，并且叫嚣到：我挣多少钱，你挣多少钱，你挡着我挣钱。此时一男的欲上前殴打环卫女工，这是我从窗户里喊：你欺负环卫工，要不要脸。此时他们发现被别人看到，应该是回过神来了，男的欲倒车逃跑，已被小区里的几名住户制止。赶到现场，男的还和我叫嚣：是她自己让我打的。那女的态度依然恶劣。直到我报了警，并拍摄视频，说要曝光他们。态度才有所转变，此时群众越来越多，都指责他们。有位大爷和我说：男的把环卫工打到了，还上去踹了好几脚。
到了警局做笔录，有一个自称，是男的助手的人，向警察解释：他是农村出身，在美国和日本待了几年才回国，不了解国情才打人的。我真是气愤，原来他在国外是随便打人的？从他助手的话里了解到，那男的是陕西科技大学才聘请回来的教授，是个博士，刚给他投资了个1000万的项目，希望我们不要曝光他。那打人的女，听说是陕西科技大学人事处的。
打这段字刚从警察局昨晚笔录回来。求曝光，这种人渣不配当老师.”

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

The post Online Outrage After University Professor Brutally Beats up Female Street Cleaner appeared first on What's on Weibo.

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NINGSUK’S ACCOUNT

ONLINE ANGER OVER CENSORSHIP

SUSPECT ARRESTED

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STATE MEDIA RESPONDS

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