4/5/2016

Chinese Censors Rush to Make Panama Papers Disappear | Foreign Policy

ChineseCensorsRushtoMakePanama
PapersDisappear
Several Beijing leaders were implicated in the big leak. Reading social media, youd never
know it.
BY DAVID WERTIME

APRIL 4, 2016

DAVID.WERTIME

@DWERTIME

OnApril3,theWashington,DC-basednon-protInternationalCommitteeofInvestigativeJournalists
(ICIJ)droppedwhatstruckmanyasabombshell:newsthataleakedtroveof11.5millionpreviouslysecret
lesfromPanama-basedlawrmMossackFonsecashowedadizzyingarrayofworldleadershave,orare
closelyconnectedto,oshoreentities.ItsshockwaveshavereachedBeijing:Relativesorcontactsof
severalsittingandformerChinesehighocialsareprominentlylisted,includingthebrother-in-lawof
currentPresidentXiJInping,thedaughterofformerPremierLiPeng,andthegrand-daughterofJia
Qinglin,aformermemberofthePolitburoStandingCommittee(PSC),atinyandelitegroupofocials
thatrunsthecountry.HongKong,aspecialadministrativeregionofChinathatfunctionsunderaseparate
legalsystem,alsolivesuptoitsreputationasahavenformainlandcapital:theICIJreporttagsitasthe
largestsourceofintermediaries,meaningthelawyers,accountants,andothermiddlementhatmakethe
systemofveiledownershipwork.

Usinganoshoreentityisnt,byitself,againstthelaw.Butbecauseoshoreentitiesmakeiteasiertohide
ownershipofcashandassets,thenewsisjuicyfodderforanyonewatchingChinasnotoriouslyopaque
leadershipforsignsofthecorruptionthatPresidentXihasworkedsohardtoextirpate.
Thenagain,China-watchershavecometoexpectsuchrevelationstoelicitmerewhimperswithinthe
countrysborders,mostlybecausethecountrysmediaapparatusisaccustomedtowideanddeep
censorshipofanythinglikelytotarthereputationofBeijingstopleadership.Chinesemediais,not
surprisingly,mumonthesubject.AleakedprovincialgovernmentdirectivereportedbyCalifornia-based

ChinaDigitalTimesordersmediaoutletstondanddeletereprintedreportsonthePanamaPapers.Do
notfollowuponrelatedcontent,noexceptions.IfmaterialfromforeignmediaattackingChinaisfound
onanywebsite,thedirectiveadds,itwillbedealtwithseverely.

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Andtruetoform,ChinasonlinecensorshavealsogottenbusyinthewakeofwhattheICIJcallsthe
PanamaPapers.NeithertheRomanizedwordPanamanorthenamesofseveralofthosenamedcan
currentlybesearchedonWeibo,thecountryslargestmicrobloggingsiteandthelocusofmany(often
coded)publicdiscussionsabouttheindiscretionsofChineseocialdom.Searchesforthenamesof
formerpremierLiPeng,hisdaughterLiXiaolin,andXiJinpingbrother-in-lawDengJiaguiarealso
blockedonWeibo,andonlysomeresultsforthosesearchesareshownonBaidu,Chinasmostpopular
searchengine.Inbothcases,anoteinboldtextstatesthatrelevantrulesandregulationshaveledto
suppressionofresults.(BaiduhasdonethesamewithJiaQinglin,alsonamedinthereport.)Itisnot
possibletoascertainwhenthesewordswererstblocked:
AsmallhandfulofonlinepostsaboutthePanamaPapersgainedtractionbeforegettingtheaxe.According
toWeiboscope,aprojectofHongKongUniversitythattracksdeletedcontentonWeibo,onepopularbut
nowdeletedpostinsistedthatnowallkeepsoutallthewind.Inaninformationage,itcontinued,
cheatingandblindingpeoplecantlastforever.Thetruthwillonedayseedaylight.
Tosomeextent,thatsalreadytrue,asChinasinformationblockadeshavenotquashedallonline
discussion.Asusual,however,webusershavehadeithertoskirttheouteredgesofthetopicinorderto
avoidbeingcensoredorworse,beingvisitedbyauthoritiesorevenjailedunderrulesthatcriminalize
theonlinepostingofrumors.Onesportscommenterwrote,Reminder:simplyhavinganoverseas
companyisnotillegal.Thestatementiscorrect,butofcoldcomforttomany.Onewroteinresponsethat
lawshouldnotbeusedasashield,andanothernotedthatoshoreentitiesareoftenusedtolaunder
money.
Inparticular,LiXiaolinhascontinuedtodrawattention,partlybecausethewell-knownoilexecutiveand
daughterofformerPremierLiPengdeclaredinanApril2014interviewwithstate-runChinaNewsthatI
myselfdonthaveanoshorecompany.ThestatementcamejustmonthsaftertheICIJidentiedthe
youngerLiinJanuary2014asoneofdozensofrichChinesewhousedoshoretaxhavens.Itsperhapsnot
surprisingthatthosewordshavenowcomebacktohaunther,withoneuserrepostingherwords.
AccordingtomirrorsiteFreeweibo,otherpostsdiscussingthelatestrevelationaboutLihavenotsurvived.

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TherewasatimewhenChinesesocialmediasizzledwithjuicytalkaboutChinasleaders.Inearly2012,at
thetwosessions,ameetingofChineselegislatorsandelitehob-nobbers,socialmediauserswidely
rebukedLi,whoalsoparticipated,forwearingapinkpantsuitfromdesignerEmilioPucciworthalmost
$2,000.Alsoinearly2012,thestunningfallofChinesepoliticianandonetimePSCaspirantBoXilaiset
socialmediaaame,cementingitsplaceasacrucibleinwhichocialcareerscouldbespeedily
destroyed.Sincethen,Chineseleadershavelearnedtokeepcensorsworkingharder,andatallhours.
WhentheNewYorkTimespublishedanaward-winningdiveintothen-PremierWenJiaobaosfamily
wealthinOctober2012,thearticlequicklyvanishedfromtheChineseInternet,andtheentireTimes
websitewasblocked.
GiventhetightlidoninformationsharinginChina,thePanamaPapersmaynotyethaveyetshaken
citizenfaithinBeijingstopleadership.ButICIJhassaidthatmoreinformationisyettocome.Chinas
censorsarelikelytostayextravigilant.

BethanyAllen-Ebrahimiancontributedreporting.
Update,April5:ThisarticlehasbeenupdatedtoclarifythatsearchesfortheRomanizedword
PanamahavebeenblockedonWeibo.Chinese-languagesearchesforPanamadonotappearblockedas
ofthisupdate.
Topimage:FengLi/GettyImages

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WELCOME TO THE MOST JAPANESE CITY IN CHINA

Mr.XiGoestoWashington,andBringsHis
StateMediaApparatus
With Chinas president in town to talk nuclear security, students handed out Beijingbacked China Daily.
BY BETHANY ALLEN-EBRAHIMIAN , DAVID WERTIME

APRIL 1, 2016

BETHANY.ALLEN

@BETHANYALLENEBR
SeveraldozenChinesestudentshavefannedoutacrossWashington,DCanditssuburbsaspartofasocial
media-poweredoutreachcampaignonbehalfofChinaDaily,astatemediaoutletfundedbyBeijingthat
aimstoengageaninternationalaudience.Theeortcoincideswiththe2016NuclearSecuritySummit,a
high-levelannualforumheldthisyearinWashington,DC.WorldleadershaveconvergedintheU.S.
capital,includingChinesePresidentXiJinping,whosearrivalhasturnedoutthrongsofpro-China
demonstrators,someinredvests.

OnMarch31andApril1,ChinaDailyappearstohaveorganizedagroupofChinesestudentsfrom
universitiesintheWashingtonareatopassoutcopiesofthenewspaper,whichislargelyfundedfrom
BeijingandespousesviewsandanalysisinclosekeepingwiththeChineseCommunistPartyline.
ThestudentsformedagroupcalledChinaDailyGreaterWashingtonBack-upGroup,usingWeChat,a
popularChinesemobilemessagingappalsoavailableintheUnitedStates,tohelpcoordinatethe
newspapersdistribution.Thegrouphas69members,usingonlinehandlesidentifyingthemasstudents
atschoolsinornearWashington,includingGeorgeMasonUniversity,GeorgeWashingtonUniversity,
JohnsHopkinsUniversity,andtheUniversityofMaryland.OnestudentwhostoodinfrontoftheOmni
ShorehamHotel,whichishostingXi,grantedaccesstotheWeChatgrouptoaForeignPolicyreporter.

ChinaDailysU.S.operationshavenotrespondedtoseveralphonemessagesandanemail
seekingimmediatecomment.

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ThestudentoutsideofXishoteltoldFPthatChinaDailyhadorganizedstudentsintheareatohelp
distributethenewspaper.ChinaDailyhadinstructedthestudentstoaskthosewhoacceptedapaperto
posewithitforaphotograph;participantshavethenpostedthosephotostotheirWeChatgroup.On
theafternoonofApril1,theysharedwithoneanothermorethanadozenphotosofpeopleonstreetsin
andaroundWashington,DCholdingcopiesoftheChinaDailyprintedition.
ThroughoutthedayonApril1,membersalsotextedeachothertoaskquestions,seekhelp,sharephotos,
andsharetipsaboutwheretodistributepapers.Itsreallyhardtopasstheseouttoday,wroteone
user.Yeah,concurredanother.Therearentasmanypeople.Forclassmateswhohaventyethandedout
allthepapers,youcantryaskingbusdrivers.Theyusuallytakesometoputinthebusforpassengersto
read.
Imwhereallthemuseumsare,wroteanother.Therearelotsoftouristshere.
AlthoughthestudentwhospokewithFPidentiedherselfasvolunteer,atleastonepostintheWeChat
groupsuggestedthatthestudentsreceivedcashinexchangefortheirwork.Ihiredapersontohelpme
passoutnewspapers,wroteonestudent.Heshomeless.Isaid,youcantgetsomethingwithout
working,ifyouhelpmepassoutnewspapersIlldividemysalarywithyou.Hewasreallyhappy.Theuser
thenpostedaphotoofthehomelessmancarryingastackofChinaDailycopies.
Forty-veminuteslater,theuserreportedthatthenewspapershadallbeenhandedout.Itwasawhim,
butwhatagreatresult!Halfanhour,150copies.Thisblackdudeisatruesaleschampion.
Anotherstudentsuggestedthatparticipantsgointometrostationstopassoutthepapers.Butanother
repliedthatwouldntwork.YesterdaywhenIwasdistributing,policekickedmeout.

ChinaDailyisasignicantpartofChinaseortstoprojectinuenceabroad.Itboasts13publicationsin
Englishalone,anditsU.S.editionhasbecomearegularandvisiblepresenceformanyresidentsof
Washington,DC;on-streetnewsboxessellingthepapersareeasytospotdowntown.Butitsraretosee
individualshandingoutcopies.
Accordingtoitswebsite,ChinaDailyseekstoprovideauniquewindowintoChinabygivingtheChinese
perspectiveonthemajornancial,politicalandsocialissuesthataectChinaandtheUnitedStates
today.In1983,ChinaDailyDistributionCorporation,fundedbyChinaDailyofBeijing,registeredasa
foreignagentintheUnitedStates.ItslateststatementledwiththeDepartmentofJustice,from
November2015,statedthatChinaDailysU.S.operationshasspentover$6.5millionoverthesixmonths
priortoling.MostofitsmoneyoverthatperiodcamefromitscontrollingentityinBeijing,which
sentfundsapproximatelyeachmonthforprintingexpenses.
Imagecredit:WeChat/FairUse

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