During the recent back-to-back Sino-American and Sino-Russian summits, there was a fair amount of online censorship of sensitive-word combinations, much of it “soft censorship” aimed at controlling online discourse by limiting search results to Chinese government websites and state-media outlets. This, and a lack of substantive breakthroughs during the Xi-Trump summit in particular, meant that much Chinese social-media commentary focused on amusing or meme-friendly details such as Elon Musk’s son’s wardrobe and Mandarin study, or the menu of the banquet served to the visiting American delegation. (Although reporting today from FT and Bloomberg indicates that there was a tense exchange between Xi and Trump over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s increased military spending and more assertive security stance, which Xi characterized as Japan’s “remilitarisation.”)
The most notable incident of online censorship grew out of an exchange on the U.S. platform X, which is blocked in China and requires a VPN to access there. After well-known Chinese dissident and whistleblower account Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher (@whyyoutouzhele) reposted some videos and photos about the Sino-American summit, Elon Musk posted an unexpected reply in simplified Chinese, stating, “My son is studying Mandarin.” The reply, which attracted over 13 million views, became a hot topic on Chinese social media, as netizens commented on the irony of Musk circumventing the GFW to access a banned overseas site “right under Xi’s nose.” The tweet was reported by China Business Network/CBN [第一财经, Dìyī Cáijīng] and other Chinese media outlets, all of which omitted any mention of the “Teacher Li” account, leaving the response without context. Despite this cautious approach, the original report from CBN and related trending topics on Weibo were completely blocked, and the buzz quickly died down. In response, Teacher Li tweeted: “This proves that even Musk has to bypass the Great Firewall to [read my account] when he comes to China. Xi Jinping and I are just two ‘Voldemorts’ separated by a wall.”
CDT Chinese editors also archived two posts that referenced the summit. One was an article from WeChat account He Liuwei that argued against the practice of using schoolchildren to greet and offer flowers to visiting political leaders, including Donald Trump. “The spectacle of minors being trotted out to ‘adorn the lapels’ of political figures turns my stomach, and that reaction didn’t start with Trump,” wrote the author. “When I was a child I thought it odd, but by middle school (this was during the Cultural Revolution), I found it nauseating. Even back then, I told myself that if I ever had a child, I would never allow her to be selected for that ‘honor.’” The other was a post from WeChat account The Sun Also Rises about two recently deleted articles, one of which was titled, “Taking Stock of Trump’s Visit to China.” The author admits to being puzzled as to why it was censored, and goes on to castigate “professional complainers” who lodge complaints with social media platforms for various petty reasons:
As for the second article [about the U.S.-China summit], I don’t believe it contained anything particularly sensitive. You can find similar pieces all over the internet, and I’ve always maintained a careful balance in my writing. The most ridiculous thing is that while my original article was reported and deleted, reposts of it by others remain online. This isn’t the first time I’ve observed this kind of farce.
It’s the fault of those busybodies, those professional complainers. They can’t write anything themselves, but when they read something that doesn’t align with their own viewpoint, or when they’ve left a comment that gets called out by the author or other readers, they feel humiliated and start complaining in retaliation. Certain types of readers will heap fulsome praise on an author who writes an article they agree with, but if that same author writes something they disagree with, they’re quick to accuse the author of “selling out.” It’s instructive to look back at the timeline of these readers’ comments: you’ll find not only a diversity of opinion among different readers, but sometimes even “a split opinion” by a single reader. [Chinese]
The following is a (non-comprehensive) list of some “soft censored” sensitive-word combinations related to the recent Sino-American and Sino-Russian summits, according to a tool developed by Citizen Lab. Searches for these terms or combinations on various platforms are subject to varying degrees of censorship, in most cases returning only results from Chinese government websites or state-media outlets.
On the Sino-American summit:
Trump + China visit + protocol/standing (特朗普 + 访华 + 规格)
Trump + China visit + itinerary (特朗普 + 访华 + 行程)
Trump’s China visit itinerary (特朗普訪華行程)
Trump + China visit + arrangements (特朗普 + 访华 + 安排)
Xi-Trump summit + Trump (習特會 + 特朗普)
Trump + China visit + agenda items (特朗普 + 访华 + 议题)
Trump visits the Temple of Heaven (特朗普参观天坛 / 特朗普參觀天壇)
Trump China visit welcoming ceremony (特朗普访华欢迎仪式)
Trump arrives in Beijing (特朗普抵京)
Welcoming US President Trump’s visit to China (欢迎美国总统特朗普访华)
China + policy + Trump (對華 + 政策 + 川普)
Trump + China + policy (川普 + 對華 + 政策)
classic + Trump (經典 + 特朗普)
Trump + classic (特朗普 + 經典)
state banquet + Trump (國宴/ 国宴 + 川普)
Trump + state banquet (川普 + 國宴/ 国宴)
dinner banquet + Trump (晚宴 + 川普)
Trump + dinner banquet (川普 + 晚宴)
state banquet + exposed/leaked (國宴 + 曝光)
U.S.-China heads of state + talks (中美元首 + 會談)
U.S.-China leaders’ meeting (中美領導人會晤)
Trump-Xi secret talks (川習密談)
U.S.-China leaders’ talks (中美领导人会谈)
U.S.-China leaders’ small-group meeting (中美领导人小范围会晤)
Foreign Ministry Q\&A on Trump’s China visit (外交部就特朗普访华情况答问)
Will the CCP really + peacefully coexist with the U.S. (中共真会和美国 + 和平共处)
The US and China should be partners, not rivals (中美应该成为伙伴而不是对手)
Charting a Correct Path of Coexistence Between the Two Great Powers (走出一条中美大国正确相处之道)
U.S.-China relations can only improve, not worsen (中美關係只能搞好不能搞壞)
U.S.-China leaders exchange views on major issues (中美领导人就重大问题交换意见)
U.S.-China Relations Build on the Past and Open Up the Future (中美关系继往开来)
China welcomes the U.S. strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with China (中方欢迎美国对华加强互利合作)
New positioning of U.S.-China relations (中美关系新定位/中美關係新定位)
Constructive, strategic, stable U.S.-China relations (中美建設性戰略穩定關係)
Stable U.S.-China relations are a boon to the world (中美关系稳定是世界的利好)
The respective successes of the U.S. and China are mutual opportunities (中美各自成功是彼此的机遇)
U.S.-China relations build on the past and open the future (中美關係繼往開來)
The correct path for U.S.-China co-existence (中美正確相處之道)
Trump’s Return to Beijing: A Game Within a Game (川普再临北京的局中局)
On Taiwan:
U.S. + Taiwan policy + Xi (美國 + 對台政策 + 習)
China visit + Taiwan question (访华 + 台湾问题)
The U.S. side must handle the Taiwan question with the utmost prudence (美方务必慎之又慎处理台湾问题)
Foreign Ministry responds on the Taiwan question (外交部回应台湾问题)
Stabilizing U.S.-China Relations Depends on Handling the Taiwan Question Well (台灣問題處理好了中美關係就能穩定)
Maintaining Cross-Strait Peace and Stability Is the Greatest Common Ground Between the U.S. and China (維護台海和平穩定是中美最大公約數)
Trade Negotiations, Boeing Order:
Boeing + order + China (波音 + 订单 + 中国)
Trump China visit + Boeing (川普访华 + 波音)
trade negotiations + Trump (贸易磋商 + 特朗普)
Iran War, Trade with Iran:
Iran + Trump (伊朗 + 特朗普)
Trump + Iran (特朗普 + 伊朗)
Chinese enterprises + Iran (中國企業 + 伊朗)
Detention of Ezra Jin Mingri, pastor of Zion Church:
Jin Mingri + Zion [Church] (金明日 + 锡安)
Jin Mingri + pastor (金明日 + 牧師)
On Elon Musk, his son, and the Chinese tweet:
馬斯克 + 中文 + 兒子 — Musk + Chinese [language] + son
馬斯克 + 兒子 + 虎頭包 — Musk + son + tiger-head bag
馬斯克 + 中文 + 發帖 — Musk + Chinese [language] + post
Referencing both summits:
Putin + Trump + visit to China (普京 + 特朗普 + 访华)
U.S.-Russia heads of state + visit to China (美俄元首 + 访华)
On the Sino-Russian summit:
Jointly Steering New-Era China-Russia Relations Toward Continuous New Achievements (共同引领新时代中俄关系不断取得新成果)
China-Russia Relations Continue on the Right Track (中俄关系继续沿着正确轨道不断发展)
Strategic Guidance for China-Russia Relations in the New Era (新时代中俄关系的战略指引)
Russian President Putin to visit China (俄罗斯总统普京将访华)
