CDT presents a monthly series of censored content that has been added to our “404 Deleted Content Archive.” Each month, we 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 2,274 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 October 2025. Between October 1-31, CDT Chinese added 31 new articles, mostly from WeChat, to the archive. Topics targeted for deletion in October included: the sentencing of officials over the death of a detainee; environmental issues (such as factory pollution in Mianyang, Sichuan, and a controversial fireworks display in Shigatse, Gyantse County, Tibet); the Nobel Prizes; the deadly crash of a Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle in Chengdu; the re-sentencing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan; overly intrusive Chikungunya-prevention measures in Guangdong; crop failures due to heavy autumn rains in Henan; and the impending closure (later cancelled) of You Xing Bookstore in Chengdu. (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.)
“Three Years After a Detainee’s Death Under RSDL, 11 Case Officers Sentenced,” by Han Qiang at the Southern Weekly
October 1, 2025
(As of Sept. 30, this article returns a “404 error” on the Southern Weekly’s website, although it remains visible on the newspaper’s official WeChat account. The Southern Weekly, along with Caixin, has published numerous articles on this case since 2023.)
On September 28, verdicts were announced in two cases related to the 2022 death of 34-year-old Bao Qinrui, who died of a pulmonary embolism brought on by the beatings, electric shocks, and restraints he was subjected to during 13 days under RSDL (“residential surveillance at a designated location”) in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. Eleven police officers were convicted of crimes including intentional injury and extorting confessions by torture, and given sentences ranging from 21 months to 16 years in prison. Ironically, several of the officers on trial claimed that they, too, had been mistreated during pre-trial detention, and tortured into confessing.
Although not mentioned in the article, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security recently floated reforms to RSDL regulations that would, among other changes, prohibit interrogations at RSDL sites and require that lawyers be granted access to their clients within 48 hours. Many legal experts have called for the abuse-prone RSDL system to be scrapped, rather than merely reformed.
“Hu Chenfeng and Zhang Xuefeng: Two Scapegoats,” from WeChat account Citizen Jin Jianguo
October 2, 2025
Amid the Cyberspace Administration of China’s new campaign to combat “malicious” negativity online, several online influencers with large followings were slapped with multi-platform bans, including educational coach and university entrance exam tutor Zhang Xuefeng and urban lifestyle influencer Hu Chenfeng. In this article, Jin dissects the flaws in recent state-media criticisms of Zhang and Hu, arguing that the pair were scapegoated for simply pointing out the socioeconomic realities and inequalities that exist in China today. “Education didn’t become ‘utilitarian’ because of Zhang Xuefeng,” writes Jin. “Rather, in a society that universally venerates utilitarianism, Zhang Xuefeng emerged as a response to the times.”
“South Korea’s ‘Love Korea, Resist China’ Demonstrations Criticized by President [Lee Jae Myung] for Damaging National Dignity,” by Xiang Dongliang, WeChat account Constructive Opinions
October 2, 2025
Popular science blogger Xiang Dongliang discusses the South Korean government’s response to anti-China demonstrations in Seoul following approval of visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups and an influx of mainland tourists during China’s October 1 National Day holiday. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticized the protests as uncultured and harmful to Korea’s interests and national dignity, stating that Chinese tourists should be welcomed rather than insulted. Xiang writes approvingly of President Lee’s condemnation of extreme nationalism and xenophobia, and contrasts it with the Indian government’s tacit approval of xenophobic displays. Although Xiang does not explicitly mention China, his subtext is clear, ending with this note of caution: “If the ‘wildfire’ of extreme nationalism is not promptly extinguished, at some point, there will be no controlling its spread.”
“The Unlucky Suckers Who Buy and Then Sell at a Loss,” by moomoocat, WeChat account 猫笔刀 (Māo bǐ dāo)
October 3, 2025
The first part of this article from finance blogger moomoocat discusses China’s jade market, in which high-end buyers typically lose 10-40% of their original purchase price when reselling jade. The author describes these resellers as mid-size business owners desperate to liquidate their assets in a bad economic climate, and notes that they would have been better off investing in gold or ETFs. This is followed by a summary of recent business news, including a new round of U.S. tariffs on furnishings, fixtures, and pharmaceuticals; July and August profit reports for various Chinese industries; a report on gold and silver futures; and details of Bytedance’s deal to partially divest from TikTok and sell a stake in the app to a consortium of U.S. investors.
“World’s Largest Physical Bookstore, Newly Opened, Faces Controversy Over ‘Toxic Fumes’ During National Day Holiday,” by Brother Nut, WeChat account The Situation’s Complicated
October 4, 2025
A long, informative article by conceptual artist and environmental activist Brother Nut about the grand opening of Shenzhen’s showpiece 131,000 m² brick-and-mortar bookstore, which welcomed 120,000 visitors on its first day. Many bookstore visitors complained of being overwhelmed by fumes and experiencing dizziness and discomfort, possibly due to formaldehyde, benzene, and other volatile organic compounds released by the building’s newly installed wooden bookshelves and stock of over 100,000 books. Brother Nut suggests that the bookstore’s opening, like many other such high-profile projects, was likely rushed for political reasons. He also notes that while the project may have passed a less rigorous indoor‐air test, based on the doors being closed for only one hour, it probably falls short of the voluntary standard testing, based on the doors being closed for 12 hours—a regulatory loophole in which “legal” doesn’t constitute “safe.” The article ends with a call for government regulators and the bookstore’s backer (Shenzhen Publishing Group) to carry out transparent testing and remedy the problem, and includes some advice and contact information for members of the public who wish to report their experiences with indoor air pollution at the bookstore.
“As Nobel Prize in Chemistry Draws Global Attention, It’s So Heartbreaking to See Others Win Awards,” by Zang Qiyu, WeChat account 律侠普法 (Lǜxiá pǔfǎ)
October 9, 2025
Attorney and legal-affairs blogger Zang Qiyu criticizes the scant Chinese press coverage of this year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry: Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa, Australia’s Richard Robson, and U.C. Berkeley’s Omar Yaghi were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work developing superabsorbent metal-organic frameworks. One prominent Chinese news outlet devoted only twenty Chinese characters to the announcement, neglected to mention the names and nationalities of the scientists, and noted only that “three people won the award and split the prize money equally.” Zang chalks up this cool reaction to resentment over the lack of Chinese Nobel Prize winners in recent years, and reminds readers that “even Nobel Literature laureate Mo Yan has been vilified, and I can’t even mention the name of a certain Nobel Peace Prize laureate.” [This refers to literary critic and democracy activist Liu Xiaobo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while imprisoned in China.]
“Shanghai Baoshan Judicial Authorities’ Approach to Law Enforcement Is Like ‘Blind Men Touching An Elephant,’” by the families of the defendants in the “Hengwan” fraud case, from WeChat account Yet Another Deep-Sea Fishing Expedition
October 10, 2025
In a deleted post from September, the families of the defendants in the “Hengwan” case accused police and prosecutors in Shanghai’s Baoshan District of illegally targeting the Beijing-based educational and training company to meet 2023 anti-fraud campaign quotas. In this post, deleted in October, the families accuse prosecutors of behaving like “blind men touching an elephant”—in other words, of over-generalizing based on insufficient evidence. Specifically, the families say that while investigators only interviewed 10 Hengwan trainees (out of over 3,500 total trainees) who say they were defrauded, prosecutors arbitrarily set the number of fraud victims in the case at 200, and a separate audit cited the equally arbitrary figure of 290 victims. The families complain that this violates the rights of the defendants, because their lawyers have no way to counter the prosecutors’ charges without knowing who the alleged victims are.
“All Current Discussions About Bride Price Overlook One Thing,” by 三月vulcanus (Sānyuè vulcanus, “March vulcanus”), WeChat account 三月云 (Sānyuè yún, “March Cloud”)
October 10, 2025
WeChat account March Cloud frequently blogs about topics related to feminism and women’s rights. This article begins with some screenshotted social media posts describing women as “gold diggers,”complaining about high bride prices—payments made from the groom’s family to the bride’s family, as opposed to dowry payments, which are the opposite—and arguing that bride prices in China should be regulated by the government. This is followed by a screenshot of a headline from the Nanjing Morning Post about three internet users who were punished by police for fabricating rumors such as “a groom and his mother jumped into a river after the bride demanded an extra 20,000 yuan for her bride price.” March Cloud points out something that is generally overlooked: that although women are often blamed for being greedy, they generally are not the beneficiaries of high bride prices. The main content of this article is in the form of 9 screenshots (likely an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the article being censored) that provide historical background into bride prices in China. The real beneficiaries of the bride price system are not the woman getting married, but a host of others: the groom, who may use the marriage as an opportunity to seize a share of his family’s assets before his parents die; the bride’s parents, who may see the bride price as due compensation for the expense of raising and feeding a daughter who will eventually leave their home; and even the bride’s younger brother or brothers, if their parents transfer their sister’s bride price bounty to their own “marriage funds.”
“The Evidence Against Her Is Proof of Her Righteousness,” by Li Yuchen, WeChat account Javelin 33
October 9, 2025
A former lawyer, citizen journalist, and devout Christian, Zhang Zhan spent four years in prison for reporting from Wuhan during the COVID-19 lockdown. She was eventually released, but was sentenced to another four years in a closed-door trial in Shanghai on September 19 of this year. This censored article from Li Yuchen argues that the very “evidence” being used against Zhang Zhan is proof of her righteousness, testimony to her unwavering sense of justice. He mentions the psychiatric evaluation that pronounced her as “clear-headed,” used as core evidence of intent; her “documentary activities” challenging the CCP’s dominant narratives; and her “unrepentant” attitude (i.e. returning to activism, post-release) that police and prosecutors argue make her a “dangerous individual” immune to state control. What the system is putting on trial here, writes Li, is Zhang’s deep sense of conscience and adherence to a higher moral code.
An illustration of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan (source: WeChat account 标枪33 / Javelin 33)
“A Two-Minute Life-or-Death Rescue Attempt by Passersby: A Burning Car, and Doors That Wouldn’t Open,” by Southern Weekly reporters Chen Jiahui and Wu Xiaofei, from the Southern Weekly
October 14, 2025
This in-depth report on a fatal crash and vehicle fire in Chengdu includes interviews with passersby who unsuccessfully attempted to rescue the driver from the burning car, a Xiaomi SU7 EV. It raises safety concerns about EVs and suggests that rescuers’ inability to extricate the driver may have been due to a power failure of the vehicle’s electronically controlled doors. The report also lists several other recent accidents in which passengers were trapped in burning EVs. Although this is not mentioned in the report, EV safety is a heavily censored topic on the Chinese internet. In April, after three passengers were killed in a crash of their Xiaomi EV while the autopilot feature was engaged, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ordered automakers to stop hyping the capabilities of smart driving technology.
“How Many People Are on China’s Government Payroll? How Many Is Reasonable, and How Many Is Too Many?” WeChat account Da He Rises (大何崛起, Dà Hé Juéqǐ)
October 15, 2025
Drawing heavily from research by three Fudan University scholars (Zhang Jun, Ma Xinrong, and Liu Zhikuo), published in the July 2025 issue of the China Economic Quarterly, this lengthy article examines the data on China’s civil service and government employee payroll, and asks whether it constitutes a drag on China’s economy. The author notes the increase in government employees over time and the burden of paying pensions to tens of millions of retired public employees, and estimates that roughly five percent of China’s population are technically “on the government’s payroll.” The piece concludes with an argument that the government doesn’t create wealth but only distributes it, and that bureaucrats are analogous to a car’s air-conditioning or brakes, rather than its engine—necessary components, but not what makes the vehicle run.
“Yours Truly Actually Thinks That Hu Xijin Is Right,” WeChat account Cicero by the Sea
October 15, 2025
In October, nationalist pundit and former Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin’s spirited criticism of the “collective silence” on Chinese social media sparked intense debate. In this article, WeChat blogger Cicero by the Sea admits that he agrees with Hu’s assessment that people have become more hesitant to speak, and gives some examples from his own experience of being harassed by online trolls for raising legitimate questions about the safety of Xiaomi electric vehicles after two fatal crashes of Xiaomi SU7 EVs. But the author also writes that Hu never really attempts to analyze what underlies China’s chilling online silence: to highlight this point, Cicero by the Sea begins and ends his now-deleted article with the plaintive question, “But why?”
“Fireworks Display ‘Sweeps Away’ Entire County Party Committee and Leadership Team,” by Xiang Dongliang, WeChat account Constructive Opinions
October 15, 2025
Blogger Xiang Dongliang analyzes the political fallout from artist Cai Guoqiang’s controversial fireworks display in Shigatse, Gyantse County, Tibet. The display, approved by local authorities and sponsored by the outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx, drew heated criticism for threatening a fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Many officials were consequently sacked, including Gyantse county’s Communist Party secretary, public security chief, and two senior members of city and county environmental agencies. Xiang argues that the unusually heavy round of penalties stemmed from a combination of procedural violations, political considerations, and ecological concerns, and warns that in counties with similarly monolithic decision-making structures, such ecological and public-opinion disasters are almost impossible to prevent.
“Despite Little Hope of Winning the Nobel Prize, We’re Still Tackling Big Challenges,” by Xiong Taihang, from WeChat account Just call me Xiong Taihang
October 16, 2025
Xiong Taihang, former publisher and editor-in-chief of Blog Weekly magazine, parodies the defensive and “whataboutist” tone of a Beijing Daily opinion piece (“Whether or Not We Win Foreign Awards Is Not Indicative of China’s Progress”) that sought to downplay recent Nobel Prize awards to two Japanese scientists. Arguing that Nobel Prizes do still matter because they recognize novel scientific breakthroughs of benefit to all humankind, Xiong offers a sardonic interpretation of a particularly prickly paragraph in the Beijing Daily op-ed: “What does this [paragraph] mean? It means that although we might not get a Nobel Prize, we’re tackling big challenges and doing great things, and basically kicking ass in other areas. If only we could apply such glib deflection to our daily lives.”
Part Two will follow soon.
