China jails Twitter users for posts critical of CCP

The Chinese government is reportedly increasing efforts to crackdown on its citizens using foreign social media platforms to criticized the Chines government or its leader Xi Jinping.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Chinese government is reportedly increasing efforts to crackdown on its citizens using foreign social media platforms to criticized the Chines government or its leader Xi Jinping.

China has sentenced more than 50 citizens to prison in the past three years for using nationally-banned platforms such as twitter to allegedly disrupt public order in China, according to court records and databases from Chinese free speech activists, the WSJ reports.

In the past, China mostly resorted to detentions and intimidation to deter citizens from using illegal social media platforms. The escalation of punitive severity now marks a new level of hard-power censorship in the country.

Zhou Shaoqing, a resident of Tianjin, China, was detained last year after criticizing China's government in relation to the coronavirus pandemic on Twitter.

"The Chinese Communist Party system regards stability as its principle, and in the face of big problems, everyone protects themselves," Mr. Zhou tweeted in February. Hospital and health officials "would all, intentionally or otherwise, reduce the number of confirmed cases," he continued.

Later that month, three government officials dressed as neighborhood volunteers showed up at Zhou’s residence. When he opened the door for them, they and several other police officers rushed in and detained Zhou. He was then interrogated for his activity on Twitter.

A Chinese court reportedly ruled that his behavior damaged public harmony and he was sentenced to 9 months in prison.

"I felt helpless and indignant," he said.

China's increase in social media censorship has run parallel to a noticeable increase in anti CCP rhetoric on Twitter. China is making efforts to strengthen and promote its global image on Twitter and other platforms, and has adopted a zero tolerance policy for any internal postings that contradict that effort.

"The government knows well from its domestic experiences that propaganda only works when it is coupled with censorship of opposing views," Yaqiu Wang said, a researcher with Human Rights Watch.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information