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A bunch of scholars below the impression that they had found a WeChat “bug” that hides the phrase “200 jin of dumplings” (roughly 220 kilos) had in reality stumbled upon an obscure insult for Xi Jinping that triggers automated censorship.
In the midst of every day dialog, the scholars discovered that messages preceded by the time period “200 jin of dumplings” (200斤饺子) weren’t obtained by their counterparts. Juvenile hilarity ensued. They despatched one another curses and confessions: “200 jin of dumplings, you’re a silly c***,” “200 jin of dumplings, you’re an fool,” “200 jin of dumplings, piggy,” and “200 jin of dumplings, you’re a lil’ cutie.” They then shared screenshots of their “discovery” on-line—delighting of their exploitation of a perceived bug in China’s hottest chat app.
Little did they know, the “bug” was no accident—however fairly an automated censorship mechanism. In 2017, CCTV aired a particular on Xi Jinping’s time as a sent-down youth within the village of Liangjiahe, Shaanxi Province, during which Xi claimed, “I’d carry 200 jin of wheat on a ten-li mountain street with out even switching shoulders.” Mass ridicule adopted his boast. Many doubted his declare. In 2020, a gaggle of Taiwanese bodybuilders tried, and failed, to recreate the feat (their shoulder yoke broke below the burden.) The 2021 smash hit track “Fragile,” which is censored in China, additionally mocked the declare.
Subtitle: “I’d carry 200 jin of wheat on a ten-li mountain street…”
“200 jin” quickly turned a tongue-in-cheek reference for Xi, alongside a bunch of different phrases derived from the identical interview sequence: “Wheat-Carrying Man,” “Wheat-Bearing Donkey,” “With out Switching Shoulders,” and the character 奭 shì, which resembles a single particular person carrying a heavy load throughout their shoulders (the 2 radicals 百 at left and proper imply “100.”) All of those have turn into delicate phrases topic to censorship. In 2019, an individual claimed that they have been invited to “drink tea,” a euphemism for police interrogation, after posting “I hope that Trump beats ‘200 jin’s’ mind out quickly,” in a QQ group.
It’s not unusual for younger Chinese language netizens to brush up in opposition to censorship with out realizing it. Even the censors want refresher programs on the Tiananmen democracy protests and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Liu Xiaobo. China’s censorship regime is so huge that it’s troublesome to recollect what have to be forgotten.
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