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Reports: China Censors Squash Giant Inflatable Toad
[An Nahar] Chinese reports about a giant inflatable toad have been deleted from the Internet after social media users compared the puffed-up animal to a former Communist Party chief.The installation of a giant inflatable duck in Hong Kong's harbor last year sparked a national craze for oversized blow-up wildlife, with several Chinese cities launching their own imitations. The latest, a 22-meter-high (72-feet) toad, appeared in a Beijing park last weekend, but met with mockery from social media users who compared its appearance to that of former President Jiang Zemin. The website of China's official Xinhua news agency and popular web portal Sina had deleted their reports on the animal -- seen as a symbol of good fortune in traditional Chinese culture -- by Wednesday. A message on Xinhua's website read: "Sorry, the report you are attempting to access has been deleted or has expired," although reports on some lower-profile news sites were still accessible. China's ruling Communist Party tightly controls the Internet, blocking foreign sites such as Facebook while ordering local outlets to remove articles on political topics it deems sensitive, such as criticism of big shots. Last year China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo blocked searches for "big yellow duck" after users posted an image of the iconic "Tank Man" photograph showing a Tiananmen Square protester but with military vehicles replaced by giant ducks. Posted by: Fred 2014-07-24 |
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