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One of the most famous reporters of the Chinese state television network CCTV was the target of a violent wave of online attacks this week, which sparked discussions about feminism and the role of women in the labor market.
The story began with the leak of journalist Wang Bingbing’s data by an anonymous profiling group.
A document shows that she failed the official English test applied to higher education students. Another reveals that Wang shared an apartment with her then-boyfriend at the age of 19 and that, today, at 31, she is divorced.
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Early reactions to the revelations were fraught with misogyny. Posts accused the reporter of “misbehaving in her personal life” and of being a “bad example”;
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Critics said failing the English exam “damages her image as a professionally successful woman”.
On Chinese social media, questioning the attacks: “Women can’t get married or divorce at 31? Can’t they choose between being whores or virgins? What more will you demand?” wrote a user on Weibo, a kind of Twitter. Chinese.
In a rare reaction from the official media, the state press also expressed support for the reporter. A newspaper linked to the Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs published articles urging “rational behavior by online users in the treatment of public figures, avoiding doxxing (the practice of leaking documents to destroy reputations)”.
Victim of the leak, Wang did not comment on the case.
Why it matters:
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Discussions about gender roles and sexuality have become increasingly frequent since last year in the country. Wang’s case is impressive as it arouses the interest of the official media.
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After the controversy involving tennis player Peng Shuai, the Chinese press has avoided touching the feminist agenda, but the attack on the CCTV journalist and the entire discussion after the case certainly crossed the line of the acceptable.
what also matters
Two of the main Chinese banks, China Eximbank and China Development Bank, announced that they will adopt stricter terms for loans to foreign nations.
According to the Financial Times, the two institutions began to demand that revenues from financed projects be channeled into a special account that guarantees repayment of the loan. The banks are requesting a detailed budget for the projects.
The decision comes after Xi Jinping urged more financial caution during the Triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, held in Senegal in November last year.
African countries, destination for most of the loans, should be the most impacted. The volume of Chinese loans to African nations reached US$ 29.5 billion annually and fell to US$ 7.6 billion.
China has announced that foreigners in the country will be able to use the so-called e-Yuan, the digital currency based on a mobile phone wallet, during the Winter Olympics.
Last week, the country exceptionally expanded access by allowing the download of an app to store money and make payments. The system attracted nearly 140 million users due to lower transaction fees.
Athletes will receive a wristband with approach technology (NFC), which will facilitate payments. The idea did not please everyone. In the US, three Republican senators have asked the US Olympic Committee to ban the use of currency by US athletes, citing espionage risks.
Still about the Olympics, the organizing committee announced that athletes will be able to access the internet without censorship during the event. The country has blocked several social networks, media outlets and websites critical of the regime for years, but Games participants will receive special cell phone chips.
Beijing responds to an old concern of the IOC, which assured the press at the time of choosing the headquarters that freedom of access to the internet had been guaranteed by the Chinese in the candidacy.
The decision did not reassure the US delegation, which in a document urged athletes to assume that “all data and communications in China can be monitored, compromised or blocked”.
keep an eye
The State Council of China published on Wednesday (12) the new digital economy development plan, designed to meet the targets set out in the 2021-2025 five-year plan.
The document highlights that China will “proactively participate in setting international standards” for 6G mobile communication technology.
Why it matters: no one knows yet what the sixth-generation internet will look like, but the race for 5G has made it clear that it will certainly represent a huge strategic advantage for whoever is the first to start.
The US made a strategic mistake by underestimating the impact of 5G, capable of connecting not just computers and cell phones, but a whole range of devices. By betting so early on 6G, China wants to secure a new victory and industry leadership for decades to come.
to go deep
- The People’s University of China (Renmin) has opened applications for the scholarship at the Silk Road School in Suzhou. The project offers a master’s course in contemporary Chinese studies focusing on the areas of political science, economics, law and Chinese culture. Scholarships are full and cover all costs associated with the course. (free, in English)
- Founders and owners of companies and startups from any industry can now apply for the Masterclass Netpreneur educational program offered by Chinese commerce giant Alibaba. The course lasts four weeks and aims to train entrepreneurs to do business in the digital age. (free, in English)
- ​In this great article, the diplomat and former counselor at the Brazilian embassy in Beijing, Tatiana Rosito, analyzes the successes and contradictions in the conduct of the economy and politics in China, expanding the debate to Brazilian national interests in this history. (free, in Portuguese)
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