Top-of-the-Week Links: Liu Xiaobo’s wife prepares to sue Beijing, Xi Jinping vows “thorough cleanup,” and Hong Kong rollercoaster tour

Peng Liyuan pics
Peng Liyuan, via Xinhua via Shanghaiist

Summer vacation links. By the way, one of our local favorites, Brussels, is going to be rebranded as The Local. The more you know.

Liu Xiaobo’s wife prepared to file lawsuit. “The wife of the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is preparing a legal challenge against authorities after her husband and brother were jailed for 11 years and she was made a prisoner in her home. // Lawyers representing Liu Xia said she would sue Beijing police for illegal house arrest and prepare a petition for her husband’s subversion case to be retried. (AP)

Politicians can disappear, too. “For 24 hours, no one knew what had happened to Guan Shaofeng, a 50-year-old biologist who ran the inspection department at the city’s custom house. // Finally, after a series of frantic phone calls, his wife found him. // Like thousands of other cadres this year, Mr Guan had fallen into the maw of the Communist party’s nightmarish internal investigation department.” (The Telegraph)

Cause Mao did no wrong? “The Communist Party, under new general secretary Xi Jinping, is delving deeper into the legacy of the late Mao Zedong for inspiration to help clean up its ranks amid rising disillusionment over widespread official corruption, analysts said.” (SCMP)

Three dead after huge restaurant explosion. “A fire and a subsequent blast ripped through a restaurant in north China’s Shanxi Province Wednesday night, has left at least three people dead and 149 others injured, including 19 who were critically injured, according to local authorities.” (CRI)

We can get behind this: “Xi Jinping, leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said Tuesday that the CPC’s upcoming year-long campaign will be a ‘thorough cleanup’ of undesirable work styles such as formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance.” (Xinhua)

Sigh. “Banning books, it seems, is so passé. The latest thing in books-related censorship? Banning media reports of bookstores.” (Christian-Science Monitor)

Roller coaster tour! “A group of 60 thrill-seekers from Europe are flying to Hong Kong and the mainland to ride 100 different roller coasters in 17 days in the first tour of its kind.” (SCMP)

Zhang Jike plays ball off his foot interlude, via Shanghaiist:

Finally…

The return of the chili-eating contest, June 29. (the Beijinger)

18-day visit to Taiwan for Chen Guangcheng. (The China Post)

“Hutong Vs. Highrise: A Photo Essay On China’s Radical Urban Changes.” (Gizmodo)

Review of Johnnie To’s Drug War, with interesting video review to boot. (Sean Tierney, Alive Not Dead)

Revisiting Factory Girls. (Tea Leaf Nation)

China and the Venice Biennale. (Tea Leaf Nation)

“Rare apology for stain on history” — about the Cultural Revoltion. (Global Times)

Tibetan activist Woeser under house arrest. (China Digital Times)

China slowdown – how serious? (ChinaFile via The Atlantic)

Finally, finally…

Brawl on the Bund happened in Shanghai again, via Shanghaiist:
2013-06 Brawl on the Bund

    3 Responses to “Top-of-the-Week Links: Liu Xiaobo’s wife prepares to sue Beijing, Xi Jinping vows “thorough cleanup,” and Hong Kong rollercoaster tour”

    1. MrT

      “Politicians can disappear, too. “For 24 hours, no one knew what had happened to Guan Shaofeng, a 50-year-old biologist who ran the inspection department at the city’s custom house. // Finally, after a series of frantic phone calls, his wife found him. // Like thousands of other cadres this year, Mr Guan had fallen into the maw of the Communist party’s nightmarish internal investigation department.” (The Telegraph)”

      You repost this shit really?
      24 fucking hours! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
      omg
      waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
      he gone missing for 24 hours! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
      bad bad country.
      Clearly never been banged up in a police cell in your sht pit of a country.

      Reply
      • RhZ

        So fucking angry even as he defends torture and murder. Sad, really. Whether its for money or for national pride, really sad to see the Maoist troll just hate, hate on anything except how wonderful the party is. Party do no wrong! You no say anything! Blarrgh!

        They will tell you that foreigners shouldn’t tell China what to do, but then they imprison any Chinese who try to point out injustice and corruption or other bad things. So its not China decides, but definitely only the party decides and everyone else should be punished if they get involved. “Shut up and keep your head down”, the party says, “or we will start a purge like the 50s or another lawless Cultural Revolution and millions will be murdered”. Chinese people ain’t dumb, they have seen this type of brutality for thousands of years and know that the threat is real. The Maoists, losing power, would probably be willing to destroy all they have created, just to maintain that corrupt power.

        If you cared about China being respected and admired throughout the world, MrT, then you would care about stopping China from brutalizing its own people. Maoists could be argued to be anti-China because what they want more than anything is power to punish and control Chinese people, for their own ends. China’s government will not get any respect until they change that, by whatever means. All that money being wasted on building soft power, haha its money spent just to help some officials get laid. No soft power will be built because every month there is a new horrible story of corruption or brutality, and the stories won’t stop.

        Rage against the wind as long as you like, but your efforts will be in vain and worthless finally. Have a nice day! :-)

        Reply
    2. Polo

      The people that really hate other Chinese, are the wumoas (5 mao a post) gang. They are happy for anything bad to happen to those around them as long as they can get ahead. CRABS IN A BUCKET, always pulling each other down.

      Reply

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