When an Old Premier’s Tribute Gets Stuck in the Gate
Yesterday’s Hallelujah… and Yesterday’s “Shh”
On Saturday, a heart‑warmingly‑viral obituary written by former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao was dusted off from an old Macau weekly called The Macau Herald and slid into a WeChat public account. The piece was meant to celebrate his mother’s life—a touch‑of‑family story about a woman who survived wars, red‑writers, and a lifetime of political upheaval. But the moment Wen tried to share it, an icy pop‑up said, “Content violates WeChat regulations. Cannot be shared.” Quick‑fire censorship. No one knows exactly why.
The Party’s New “History Police”
Behind the curtain, the Communist Party (CCP) is tightening its grip on the internet in a bid to keep the narrative tidy as it approaches the 100th anniversary of its founding this July. Last week, a cyber‑security arm opened a hotline for netizens to flag any “illegal” commentary that could “distort” the Party’s achievements or tear into leadership. In plain English, if you dare write something the Party thinks could ruffle feathers, your post might get blocked or pulled.
Who’s In the Spotlight?
- Xi Jinping, riding a charm‑school‑style rise, has officially cemented his policies into the party charter and abolished term limits. He’s the living legend next to Mao.
- Wen Jiabao, who reshaped China’s economic engine in the 2000s, left the Premier’s office in 2013. In retirement, he’s expected to keep a low profile—no public stats, no grand speeches.
The cold hand on Wen’s piece is a strange curveball: it’s an obituary, so no political rant. Still, it gathered the CCP’s full attention because the “historical” tales of his mother lingering on fields of peace and war simply might be seen as a subtle undercurrent.
What happened on Weibo?
The social‑media platform, reminiscent of Twitter, only offered a few scant mentions—no real comments, no share button. A link to Wen’s own tribute that had been on Weibo turned into a 404 overnight, confirming its deletion. That’s the hacky way China does a partial purge: messages slide out of existence almost overnight.
The takeaway
In a country where former leaders often retire quietly, Wen’s mother’s tribute thumped the internet, only to be stamped out by regulation. With the Party tightening the dial on how history gets told, even a tear‑jerking memorial can feel like a political blip, and the internet will plainly stay silent.
