CDT presents a new monthly series of censored content that has been added to our “404 Deleted Content Archive.” Each month, we will publish a summary of content blocked or deleted (often yielding the message “404: content not found”) from Chinese platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu (RedNote), Bilibili, Zhihu, Douban, and others. Although this content archived by CDT Chinese editors represents only a small fraction of the online content that disappears each day from the Chinese internet, it provides valuable insight into which topics are considered “sensitive” over time by the Party-state, cyberspace authorities, and platform censors. Our fully searchable Chinese-language “404 Deleted Content Archive” currently contains 2,243 deleted articles, essays, and other pieces of content. The entry for each deleted item includes the author/social media account name, the original publishing platform, the subject matter, the date of deletion, and more information.
Below is a summary of deleted content from September 2025. Between September 1-30, CDT Chinese added 21 new articles, mostly from WeChat, to the archive. Topics targeted for deletion in September included: the multiplatform ban on influencers Hu Chenfeng and Zhang Xuefeng; Nepal’s Gen-Z protest movement; labor rights for food-delivery riders; the right to observe criminal trials and broader pressure on citizen journalism; problems in official news coverage; economic prospects and precarity; domestic violence; an accident involving hazardous waste; official misconduct; and patriotic cinema. (Note that the dates in this summary refer to when an article was published on the CDT website, not when it was deleted from Chinese social-media platforms.)
“A Henan Public Security Bureau Leader Demanded I Retract My Article, and Asked Me ‘What Sort of Paperwork’ They Needed to Provide,” from WeChat account Li Yu Chen
September 1, 2025
Li Yu Chen published an article about the arrest of the wife of Liu Haonan, a Public Security Bureau (PSB) deputy under investigation in Xiping County, Zhumadian, Henan province. After Liu’s wife protested her husband’s innocence online, she too was arrested—by a former colleague of her husband with a vested interest in his case. In a now-deleted followup article, Li Yu Chen describes receiving two demands on August 26 to retract the first article. One demand came via email from someone claiming to be a prosecutor and citing “defamation”; the other was a text message from an anonymous account claiming to represent “PSB leadership” and citing “violation of privacy.” When pressed for identification, both contacts provided the same prosecutor’s ID card photo, suggesting either identity theft or impersonation. Li argues that this contradictory pressure campaign—claiming both defamation and violation of privacy—serves to confirm the original article’s accuracy and local officials’ deep fear of accountability. After publishing this article, the Li Yu Chen WeChat account was immediately blocked.
“Total Mobilization?” from WeChat finance blog moomoocat
September 5, 2025
An article from finance blogger moomoocat about two puzzling online events. The first appeared to be a coordinated campaign by various government social media accounts—including many with no connection to finance or markets, such as the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, municipal government accounts, and departments of culture, tourism, and environmental protection—to promote an article titled “Foreign Financial Institutions: Current Chinese Stock-Market Valuations Are Reasonable, and Investors Are Generally Optimistic About the Future.” The second was Caixin’s deletion of a report, screenshotted and widely shared online, about a Chinese official under investigation. Although moomoocat did not name the official, his mention of a recent Reuters report makes it likely he was referring to former securities watchdog chief Yi Huiman, reportedly under investigation for corruption.
“In Mengcun, Hebei, The Death of a ‘Perfect Wife,’” from Phoenix News
September 5, 2025
A long-form investigative report by Phoenix News reporters Wang Wenqing and Wang Zhiyan about Liu Yuqing, a 25-year-old woman who was beaten to death by her husband in late August. The report documents the years of domestic violence that Liu suffered, and features interviews with her friends, family, and former schoolmates. Liu’s case sparked nationwide outrage after the revelation that while the cause of her death was blunt force trauma to the head, it was initially recorded as a heart attack, possibly because her husband’s family was well-connected locally and held sway at the hospital. (Liu’s husband was later detained on suspicion of homicide, and her mother-in-law on suspicion of helping to destroy or fabricate evidence.)
“Does Working as a Food-Delivery Rider Shorten Your Lifespan?” by Zheng Luyue for Food News Agency
September 6, 2025
This article by nutritionist Zheng Luyue discusses some of the health risks facing China’s over 10 million food-delivery riders, including poor nutrition, skipped meals, and elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Quoting from studies about gig workers in the U.S. and U.K., and from gig-economy labor scholar Sun Ping’s book “Transitional Labor,” Zheng argues that riders’ well-being shouldn’t be sacrificed for platform efficiency and calls for recognizing “health resilience” as part of labor protections. The article was deleted from Food News Agency’s official WeChat account, but remained visible on its Douban page.
“After Zhang Xuefeng’s Patriotic Performance Backfired, That ‘Esteemed Teacher’ Should Step Down,” from WeChat account District 526
September 8, 2025
A sharp critique of educational influencer, author, and university entrance exam tutor Zhang Xuefeng, who was recently hit with a multiplatform ban after he promised to donate 50 million yuan personally, and 100 million yuan from his company, if the Chinese government decided to launch a military invasion of Taiwan. The article, one of three deleted pieces on Zhang Xuefeng added to the CDT archive this month, condemns Zhang’s use of violent and nationalist rhetoric, including his past claims that Japan should be Chinese territory, as a cynical “patriotic marketing” ploy gone awry.
“I Witnessed the ‘Status Anxiety’ of an Ordinary Writer,” by Huang Zhijie (WeChat account Yo Yo Lu Ming)
September 8, 2025
An article about a writer from Hunan who was criminally detained in a neighboring province for criticizing a township Party secretary. Commentator and independent journalist Huang Zhijie notes that the writer was using a dubious media credential from an unregistered website, revealing the “status anxiety” and legal risks that afflict independent writers and journalists in China. Huang argues for better protections for this emerging class of public interest writers, who cover important stories that mainstream media cannot or will not pursue. “Many of my former colleagues have left investigative journalism or changed careers,” writes Huang, “while some well-known writers have simply disappeared or retired. […] How many people are willing to risk being accused of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’ and having to deal with constant anxiety of having no status or protections?”
“Nepal’s Gen Z Revolution: Government’s Social Media Ban Ignites Young People’s Fury,” from WeChat account Bruce’s Overseas Journal
September 10, 2025
The article describes the backdrop to September’s Gen Z protests that brought down the government in Nepal, fueled by anger over the government’s ban on 26 social media platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and X), rampant nepotism scandals, and socioeconomic issues such as poverty, inequality, and high unemployment. The author concludes that the protests represent a deeper generational awakening, as leaderless young protesters demanded systemic political reform.
“Tsinghua University Official Website Deletes Law School Professor Lao Dongyan’s 2016 Commencement Speech,” Tsinghua University website
September 10, 2025
Tsinghua University Law School Professor Lao Dongyan‘s 2016 commencement address was deleted from the university’s official website sometime between February 2023 and September 2025. Lao is an advocate of free speech and rule of law, an opponent of the national internet ID plan, and a critic of excessive use of surveillance technology, including facial recognition. Some of her online articles have been deleted in the past, and her Weibo account has been subject to at least two temporary bans in 2022 and 2024. Her now-deleted commencement speech urged graduates to “not to be easily misled by others,” and emphasized the importance of independent thinking, rejecting political opportunism, understanding rule of law, and balancing legal expertise with moral judgment. She criticized “soulless experts” who master techniques but ignore justice; encouraged women to pursue independence over marriage; and concluded by encouraging students to “change the world, starting with ourselves.” (For a full translation of Lao’s speech, see David Cowhig’s translation blog.)
“The Right to Observe Trials Must Not Be Illegally Denied,” from WeChat account Criminal Defense World
September 11, 2025
A legal analysis of a September 10 incident in which Wu Yunpeng, a citizen journalist who chronicles court proceedings, was detained for five days for allegedly publishing “inaccurate” content and “impersonating” a family member to attend a legal hearing at the Guancheng District Court in Zhengzhou, Henan province. The author argued that public trials should allow any citizen to observe and take notes on the proceedings, and that court-imposed limits on observers violate China’s constitutional principle of open trials. In addition, the author notes that given that the court case Wu was observing involved the Guancheng Public Security Bureau, that same bureau had absolutely no authority to judge the accuracy of Wu’s observations regarding their own case.
“Multiple Zhengzhou Lawyers Debate ‘Police Jurisdictional Grab’ in Court; Court Detains Observer Who Recorded the Debate and Hands Them Over to the Police,” by WeChat blogger Li Yuchen
September 11, 2025
A detailed account of Wu Yunpeng’s arrest, his background as a citizen journalist, and the specifics of the trial he was observing: a case of alleged organized crime that defense lawyers characterized as a jurisdictional grab, motivated by police performance quotas. The article reveals how observing and writing about trials can be more dangerous than lawbreaking itself. “Sometimes, the most subversive behavior isn’t breaking the law, but documenting it,” writes Li. “What the system most fears isn’t the criminals who exploit legal loopholes, but the ordinary people sitting in the back row with their pens and eyeglasses.”
“Prime Minister Resigns, Government Buildings Burned… What Happened in Nepal?” from Phoenix News
September 12, 2025
This report on the escalating protests in Nepal was first published on Guanchazhe.com on Sept. 9 and subsequently republished on other sites. NetEase deleted it on Sept. 10, and two days later, it had been deleted from most Chinese websites, with the exception of a few local news sites. (Other content related to Nepal’s Gen Z protests was also heavily censored on Chinese social media.) The report describes the protests that broke out in Nepal following a nationwide ban on numerous social media platforms, the clashes between protesters and police that left 19 dead and over 100 injured, and the resignation of Nepali Prime Minister Oli and several other government ministers. The piece also provides some background: Nepal’s 48.1% social-media usage rate, the highest in South Asia, combined with economic stagnation, corruption, and nepotism scandals sparked unrest in a country where 77.4% of the population is rural and remittances make up 33.1% of GDP.
“A BL-Loving Girl Who Married a Gay Man,” from WeChat account Tongqi Support Network (a support network for the wives of gay men)
September 13, 2025
The preface to this article quotes a 2005 CCTV interview by journalist Chai Jing with a gay man who explained why he decided to marry a woman, despite being aware of his sexual orientation: “A friend said my parents would sooner believe that rivers flow backward than believe that homosexuality exists.” The article consists of screenshots of an interview with Xiaoxue, a woman who unknowingly married a gay man, filed for divorce after six months, and remains estranged from her ex and her parents—all of whom blame her for the dissolution of the marriage. Despite this experience, Xiaoxue remains a strong supporter of gay rights and an ardent fan of danmei (or BL) fiction, which depicts romantic relationships between male protagonists.
“‘Bone-Dissolving Liquid’ Claims a Life in Hangzhou: Ordinary People Shouldn’t Be Sacrificed to Professional Negligence,” by Zhang Yunsu for the WeChat account Incorrect
September 18, 2025
An article about a 52-year-old woman in Hangzhou who died of multiple-organ failure five days after stepping on a discarded container of hydrofluoric acid—a chemical so highly corrosive that it has been dubbed “bone-dissolving liquid.” Three containers of the hazardous chemical, which had been illegally disposed of by a contractor in 2015, had remained undetected for a decade, despite regulations requiring strict tracking of hazardous materials. The author criticizes inadequate oversight, calls for better tracking of hazardous waste and stronger enforcement against illegal dumping, and warns readers that many common household products also contain corrosive chemicals.
“On-the-Street Interviews with Delivery Riders: Their Trials, Tribulations, and Frosty Response to the New Social Insurance Policy,” from WeChat account Aquarius Era
September 20, 2025
This series of interviews with food delivery riders in Guangzhou was originally published by (and is still available on) the WeChat account Aquarius Era, but a version reprinted by the sustainable-agriculture WeChat account Foodthink has been deleted. Interviewees were largely indifferent to the new mandatory social insurance requirements, with one respondent saying, “I might not live to 63 [the age at which pension benefits kick in].” The interviews reveal riders’ extreme economic precarity and concern about algorithmic controls, gruelling work hours, and the danger of traffic accidents.
“Shanghai Baoshan District People’s Procuratorate: Chief Prosecutor Sun Lin, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Wang Xiaolin, and Prosecutor Zhu Jialin Refuse to Fulfill Their Procuratorial Supervision Duties,” from WeChat account Yet Another Deep-Sea Fishing Expedition
September 23, 2025
A formal complaint letter from the families of the defendants in the “Hengwan” case, accusing police and prosecutors in Shanghai’s Baoshan District of illegally targeting the Beijing-based educational company to meet 2023 anti-fraud campaign quotas. (This sort of cross-provincial, policing-for-profit expedition is known as “deep-sea fishing.”) Prosecutors are alleging that Hengwan defrauded its students. The letter alleges that prosecutors copied-and-pasted police interrogation transcripts, and that police fabricated evidence, forged signatures, buried exculpatory evidence, and were negligent in interviewing supposed witnesses. The complaint argues this “deep-sea fishing” operation represented a conflict of interest and violated rules governing jurisdiction and due process.
“The ‘Internet Celebrity Track’ Has No Space for Hu Chenfeng,” from WeChat account Like Light
September 23, 2025
This WeChat article discusses the recent multiplatform ban on popular lifestyle influencer and livestreamer Hu Chenfeng, summarizes some of his more controversial opinions (such as describing haves and have-nots as “Apple people vs. Android people”) and speculates about why he might have been banned. Most importantly, the article strongly criticizes the arbitrary nature of such platform bans, arguing that they are opaque, unfair, and counterproductive. “It has long been common practice for platforms not to disclose the specific reasons for account bans,” the author writes. “While this practice ostensibly allows for regulatory leeway, the fact is that it violates the fundamental requirements of transparent governance.”
“Heavy Subject Matter Should Not Become a ‘Fig Leaf’ for Bad Films,” from WeChat account “The sky really wants rain” and Douban
September 23, 2025
A WeChat article satirizing official claims of “unanimous praise” for the patriotic blockbuster “Evil Unbound” (Chinese title “731”), followed by a compilation of negative reviews from the film-review site Douban. Some of the reviewers called the film, which currently has a 3.2 rating on IMDb, a cynical “insult to history,” pointed out its myriad plot holes and plagiarism from other films, and complained that critical reviews were being systematically deleted by censors.
“Now that Zhang Xuefeng’s Accounts Have Been Blocked, Does His 100-Million-Yuan Pledge Still Count?” from WeChat account Personal Memory Bank
September 24, 2025
A short article condemning recently deplatformed educational influencer Zhang Xuefeng’s turn toward nationalist rhetoric and his exorbitant pledge to donate 100 million yuan to support a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The author interprets Zhang’s newfound nationalism as a cynical and ultimately failed ploy to increase his own online viewership and profits, which have been threatened by declining college enrollment. He likens Zhang to other performative patriots such as “Wolf Warrior” actor, director, and martial artist Wu Jing (Jacky Wu). The author writes that such “patriotic fare is the last refuge of scoundrels,” and concludes with this: “They’ve been plaguing our country for too long! Who is breeding these parasites?”
“Zhang Xuefeng Accidentally Steps on a New Red Line,” from WeChat account Like Light
September 25, 2025
Like Light’s second censored article posits that Zhang Xuefeng was banned not for his saber-rattling or his promised 100-million-yuan donation to fund a hypothetical invasion of Taiwan, but for falling afoul of a new Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) campaign to eliminate certain forms of “malicious negativity” online. The author points to some specific wording in the CAC announcement that could apply to a wealthy and powerful educational “guru” such as Zhang: “…fabricating false identities or personas such as ‘guru’ or ‘expert,’ and peddling anxiety regarding employment, marriage, education, etc., in order to sell products or courses.” The author also calls for greater transparency from cyberspace authorities, noting that Zhang, after years of successfully navigating red lines, likely met his downfall simply because the authorities abruptly moved the goalposts.
“TV Station Reports Rice Yields of Ten Thousand Jin Per Mu? This Is in 2025…” by Xiang Dongliang
September 25, 2025
An article satirizing a CCTV interview with a farmer in Jilin who claimed that his 50-mu (3.3 hectare) rice field would yield 750,000 jin (over 82,000 pounds)—a ten-fold increase over the insanely inflated rice yields touted by government propagandists during the Great Leap Forward. Xiang, as a former agricultural reporter, understood that the farmer likely got nervous on camera and misspoke, having meant to say “75,000 jin.” After Chinese social media users noticed the mistake, CCTV quietly edited out that portion of the online interview. In Xiang’s opinion, the fact that the mistake was allowed to air reflects an overall decline in TV news quality due to budget cuts, staff reductions, and the prioritization of propagandistic content over accurate reporting. As for the future of TV news, Xiang writes, “I doubt it will be able to survive much longer.”
“Taken Together, Aren’t These Two News Stories a Bit Too Ironic?” from WeChat account Unyielding Bamboo
September 29, 2025
A satirical comparison of two stories about petty corruption that belie the many more serious corruption scandals being censored, overlooked, and under-reported. One was the case of Fan Xihua, a municipal official in Hunan who was expelled from his position and the Party for being “too helpful” to citizen petitioners. The other was Li Rui, a party secretary in Yunnan Province accused of accepting various small gifts and purchasing liquor in bulk for use in official receptions.
Lastly, here is a brief summary of deleted content from August 2025. Between August 1-31, 2025, CDT Chinese added an additional 47 articles to our “404 Deleted Content Archive.” Our testing indicated that all of these had been deleted from one or more Chinese social media platforms; the vast majority were from WeChat. Major topics targeted for deletion in August 2025 included:
Spontaneous mass protests in Jiangyou, Sichuan province, in support of a bullied schoolgirl and her parents.
“Badge-flashing incident” in Fangchenggang, Guangxi province: Criticism of local law enforcement for giving a slap-on-the-wrist punishment to a Mercedes-driving woman who used her husband’s official fire-marshal ID card to force another driver to yield to her in traffic. Online commenters also criticized the police for anonymizing the woman’s name in their official statement on the case, while revealing the full name of the victimized driver, and for turning a blind eye to those who use relatives’ official credentials to intimidate others.
Yang Lanlan’s car crash in Sydney, Australia: There was intense online interest in the story of a 23-year-old Chinese woman who was released pending trial in Sydney for crashing her custom Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV into another vehicle, seriously injuring the other driver. Chinese censors deleted numerous articles and comments speculating about the amount of Yang’s bail, her source of wealth, and possible high-powered family connections.
Podcast “Eight and a Half Minutes” (八分半, Bā fēn bàn) banned from Chinese streaming platforms after the host discussed Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media mogul facing national security charges. The podcast, hosted by Hong Kong writer, commentator, and host Leung Man-tao, is still available on Apple Podcasts.
Anti-climactic end to the investigation of the Peking Union Medical College/4+4 scandal: There was continued censorship of content about the light or inadequate punishment and disappointing investigative report into the scandal, which involved a medical intern who used plagiarized research, altered academic transcripts, and family connections to fast-track her career.
A sexual harassment incident at the Wuhan University library: censored content included articles purportedly inciting “gender antagonism” or criticizing the university’s lack of transparency in the case.
Criticism of the new “mandatory social insurance” policy, including concerns about inadequate public consultation beforehand and whether the new policy, which took effect September 1, would address urban-rural and public-private inequalities in the pension system.
