On May 1, Global Times Chief Editor Hu Xijin (@胡锡进) posted two Weibo messages about Chen Guangcheng. The comment function has been disabled for one post, which mentions a front page Global Times editorial on Chen; related re-posted material is also unavailable. The editorial has been scrubbed from every major Internet portal in China:

The front page of today’s Global Times reports on the current situation of the blind Mr. Chen. In a press briefing, the U.S. State Department spokesperson answered eight successive questions with “no comment.” Obama and Hillary have both avoided his name. The U.S. is obviously in an awkward position. The BBC reports that China and the U.S. may soon reach an agreement on the issue. Today’s Global Times editorial also discusses the situation. (comments closed)
@胡锡进：今天环球时报的头版报道了陈氏盲人的最新动态。美国国务院发言人在记者会上连续8次对记者提问回答“无可奉告”，奥巴马和希拉里都避谈他的名子。美国显然很为难。BBC称中美有可能就他的事达成协议。环球时报今天的社评也谈的这件事。 (关闭评论）

In the other post, Hu refers to Chen using a combination of Chinese characters and English letters: 陈GC (Chen GC). Hu probably did his to get around the censors, as numerous monikers for Chen have been blocked on Weibo over the last week (see here and here). “Chen GC” is blocked from Weibo search results as of the evening of May 2:

Public opinion seems to have given the false impression that Chen GC is “of definite importance to the U.S.” His perception of his own influence in China is out of touch with reality, and the exploitation of him in some public thought has destroyed his judgement. He deserves particular sympathy. But he has really caused a quandary for both China and the U.S. I believe the relationship between our two countries will not be influenced by him, and that he will not rob time from the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. It would be truly strange if he did.
@ 胡锡进：舆论像是给陈GC造成了“他对美国的确很重要”的错觉。他对自己个人在中国影响力的认识也脱离了实际，一些舆论对他的利用似乎毁掉了他的判断力。 他值得特殊的同情。但他现在实际给中美都出了难题。我相信中美关系不会受他的事影响，即将举行的中美战略对话也不太可能为他单独辟出时间，否则将是奇怪 的。

Below is a selection from among the 1,000-plus scathing comments Hu received for his this latter message. More comments are available from CDT Chinese.

Rebel Pepper: It really is strange. Say he’s a free man, but several hundred prison guards watch him in turns; say he’s a convict, but you don’t declare him guilty and throw him into prison. You even have to abbreviate his name. That must create a quandary for Editor Hu.
变态辣椒: 确实很奇怪，说是自由人吧，几百号狱卒轮班看守；说是囚犯吧，又不判罪抓进监狱。连个名字也要打成缩写，真给胡编出难题啊

LaifushiDumbdumb: You still have the nerve to comment… but you won’t even write out his full name.
萊福士呆呆：你还有脸评论，，，连全名都打不出来。

trackzhang: Who is this person? Must he be happily shut in a cage in order to be a model for a harmonious society?
trackzhang：这人是谁？他要心甘情愿被关在笼子里才是和谐社会的典范么？

Tea&Chant: You can publish the truth, you know!
浅斟轻吟：你可以公布真相啊！

ShenzhenColdHero: Since Blind Chen isn’t important and hasn’t broken the law, why did his local government imprison him? Are they morons?
深圳冷杰：陈瞎子既然不重要也没犯法，为什么当地政府要囚禁他？吃饱了撑的？

BusyMovieStar: Even you write his name in letters, not characters. Don’t you think your country is pathetic?
影帝很忙：连你都用字母代表了，你觉得你的国家可悲不？

maowy: He may not be important to the U.S., but the way you treat him is important to us. Your clique’s perception of its own influence in China is out of touch with reality, and the exploitation of you and your clique by some of your own has destroyed your judgement.
maowy：他对美国不重要，你们会如何对待他对我们来说很重要。你所在的集团对自己在中国形象的认识也脱离了实际，一些集团成员对你和你所在集团的利用似乎毁掉了你们的判断力

LifeinHuajing: Even if, as you say, a person like this can create a quandary for China and the U.S., don’t you think it’s worth reflecting on why? What kind of person is he, with this kind of “power,” to make the U.S. government pay attention? And even affect the relations between two countries? Besides, how do you know his perception of his own influence is out of touch with reality? Is he out of touch with the “reality” you’re waiting for?
华景里的日子：即便按您所言，这么个人，能够给中美都出了难题，你不觉得这本身也是一件值得反思原因的事情吗？是什么样的人，能够有这样的‘能量’，让美国政府关注？甚至影响两国关系？再者说，你怎么知道他对自己的认识脱离了实际，是脱离了你所期待的‘实际’吧？

MouGui: Before the time when you couldn’t write his full name, all of your chatter about him was skewed. Everything you say is to nakedly curry favor with those in power.
某癸：在你不能完整的写出他的名字之前，你的一切关于他的唧唧歪歪，都是对当权者的赤裸裸的谄媚。

V-Zhang: This is the classic fallacy of not calling a person a person! Someone meets with hardship, and you turn him into a bargaining chip.
V-张：这种言论就是典型的不把人当人的歪理邪说！一个人遭遇了苦难，在你这张嘴里就变成了筹码

SlightlyStupid: Screw you! Who was it that, step-by-step, put a blind man into the public eye? How come you won’t say?
微微傻：呸！是谁一步步的把一个瞎子逼成了公众人物？怎么闭口不提？

stephenking66: Whatever his influence, I know that a blind man was illegally imprisoned. Not only will you not acknowledge your mistake or investigate the local government’s responsibility, you also use your force to exonerate yourself. You scramble the story and change the subject. Have you no shame?
stephenking66：不管什么影响力，我只知道这么非法禁锢一个盲人，不但不承认自己的错误，不追究当地政府的责任，还及力开脱自己的责任，混淆视听，转移话题，你有脸吗？

RuizhengLanweiwei: Following what you say, our own blind person needs the Americans to protect him! How disgraceful!
瑞征蓝维维：顺着说，我们自己的盲人居然要美国人保护！太丢人了！

Gourixinfeixinnailang: What quandary did he give to China and the U.S.? Could it be that asking the Chinese government to respect its own laws has created a quandary for China?
苟日新非日乃浪：他给中美出了什么难题？难道要求中国政府遵守中国政府自己制定的法律是给中国政府出难题？

KarlLeninsSmile001: Chen gc wasn’t necessarily important to the U.S. at first, but to the Chinese people. Because if he isn’t free, every one of us could lose our freedom at any time. If we have to rely on the Americans to tell us in order to understand his importance, that is really bizarre.
卡列宁的微笑001：陈gc对美国本来就不一定很重要，他对我们中国人才真正重要。因为只要他不自由，我们每个人都随时有可能失去自由。如果我们要靠美国人提醒才能知道他的重要性，这本身就是很奇怪的事。

ItIsTime-2012: Millions of troops. The atom bomb has been built. And you’re afraid of a blind man. The party-state is mighty.
是时候了-2012：几百万军队。原子弹都造出来了，居然怕一个肓人，党国威武

BigRoadEast: First Vice Mayor Wang, then Blind Chen. One official, one common person. When they needed the protection of the law, when they needed justice, they coincidentally both chose American missions. This is the ultimate mockery of “running the country according to the law.”
大路东：前有王副市长，后有陈瞎子，一官一民，在需要法律保护，需要公平正义的时候，不约而同地选择了美国使馆，这对“依法治国”4个字是莫大的讽刺。

dakouer: Editor Hu, you guys have spent all this money and used all this manpower to work around the clock “protecting” and “caring for” Chen GC and his family. Don’t you think this could create a false impression of “his definite importance to China”?
dakouer：胡编，你们花那么钱，用那么多人，一天24小时连轴转地‘保护’和‘照顾’陈GC及家人，你不认为这会造成“他对中国的确很重要”的错觉？

LuFeng-goodnessLikeWater: You will be nailed to history’s pillar of disgrace. You would actually call the action of a human rights defender at an impasse “relying on the support of foreigners”? Did a dog eat your conscience?
陆丰-上善若水：你会被钉在历史的耻辱柱上。竟然把一个走投无路的维权人士的行为称为“挟洋自重”？你的良心被狗吃了吗？