A roundup of online political cartoons from the past week. Click any image to launch gallery view.
Want more? Check out CDT Chinese’s Sunday series, Empire Illustrated (图说天朝).
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- A new ruling by the Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate makes room for sentences of up to three years in prison for netizens who post “false information” that is reposted over 500 times. (Manhuaju/Weibo)
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- This “straitjacket” for online rumors is meant in part to crack down on social media profiteering, but all “lies” will be punished under the new legal interpretation, whatever the motivation of the poster. (Badiucao)
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The government is clearly trying to reign in online influencers. “Big Vs” (verified users with large followings) on Weibo have been targeted for crossing the authorities. When Chinese-American businessman and Big V Charles Xue was detained for alleged solicitation of prostitutes, official media drew attention to his critical Weibo posts.
In a modern twist on Journey to the West, the Monkey King wears an enchanted Big V headband. If he steps out of line, his master sends him a nasty shock. (Zhu Senlin/Weibo)
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- Indeed, the curse of the V has already struck Pan Shiyi, the real estate tycoon who helped push Beijing to publicly track air pollution. On August 10, Pan wrote on Weibo that “Forcing the Big V’s and Internet celebrities to indoctrinate the public and raise the public’s level of morality will not fly.” In a CCTV interview on Wednesday, the typically confidant Pan appeared cowed, stuttering that netizens should be “if we post completely casually … the social impact and damage will be greater.” (Pan Shiyi/Weibo)
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- So much for speaking out. (Banzha/Weibo)
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- Even under censorship, Weibo has freed netizens to learn about and discuss issues that would never get the attention of the state media. The platform has even forced official reaction to events the government would have rather left be, such as the Wenzhou train crash of July 2011. Now, Weibo users are getting weighed down by regulation. (Manhua Chenshi/Weibo)
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- A numbing death. (Kuang Biao/Weibo)
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- If Weibo is the Chinese Internet’s public square, WeChat is its speakeasy. The mobile-only social media app only allows communication among friends. All WeChat messages are private: between you, your contacts… and the police. (Mengchenshang/Weibo)
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- “So Little Jiang,” former railway minister Liu Zhijun laughs, “you’re disclosing your assets, too? Why don’t you dump out whatever you’ve got hidden in there and give us a look.” Jiang Jiemin is among the associates of former security chief Zhou Yongkang under investigation for corruption. Another fallen official, Liu Tienan, cheers with Liu Zhijun. State media cite Liu Tienan’s indictment to explain why government officials should be subject to the same restrictions on rumor mongering as the public. It was the “slanderous” Weibo reporting of Luo Changping that lead to Liu’s arrest and conviction. (Dashixiong/NetEase)
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- Calling out Chinese dreams from the sidelines: full equality, a free judiciary, and financial disclosure by all Communist Party officials. Xi Jinping is not giving an amen. (Jiu’an Yahuang)
