Blocked on Weibo

政变 (coup d’état / zhèngbiàn) is a sudden, illegal overthrow of a government.

Why it is blocked: The search ban is a recent one, first noticed on Twitter on Tuesday, March 20 at 8:13 PM (Beijing time) (though inklings of potential censorship were hinted at as early as Monday night). This of course is in reaction to the wild rumors that a coup was taking place in Beijing, with the military intervening on Bo Xilai’s behalf to arrest Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. Of course, the rumors were just that, rumors. The L.A. Times noted that last week Beijing had ordered 3,300 party cadres home for ideological retraining, thus perhaps explaining the heightened military presence in Beijing these past few days. Chinese history is no stranger to coups; recent examples include the 1927 Communist purge by Chiang Kai-shek and the resolution to the Hundred Days’ Reform in 1898. h/t to an American sinologist living in Beijing. [Status - 3/22/12: blocked]

我的奋斗 (Mein Kampf / Wǒde Fèndòu) is an autobiography and book of political theory by Adolf Hitler.

Why it is blocked: As in Germany and a number of other countries, the sale of Mein Kampf is restricted in China. In fact, merely even searching for the title on Amazon China or Taobao will cut off your Internet connection to the site. Besides being the work of one of the 20th-century’s most infamous dictators, Mein Kampf is also known for its inflammatory anti-communist views—another reason for the CCP to ban it. However, due to his strong leadership and emphasis on social stability, Hitler is reported to be admired by some Chinese—though this is arguably due to ignorance rather than actual malice (the same way some Westerners embrace Mao). In May 2011, there was a bizarre Internet rumor that Hitler was raised by a Chinese family in Vienna, with a number of bloggers taking pride in China’s supposed connection with Hitler. [Status - 11/29/11: blocked; 2/5/12: unblocked; 3/12/12: blocked]

Note: 阿道夫·希特勒 (Adolf Hitler / ādàofū xītèlè) is not blocked on Weibo, Amazon.cn, or Taobao.

讣告 (obituary / fùgào) is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person’s life and information about the upcoming funeral.

Why it is blocked: If one had to guess, it’s likely to prevent false rumors of deaths from spreading. Weibo employs a rumor control team whose purpose is to snuff out such falsehoods. They were likely very busy back in February when rumors spread that Kim Jong-un, the new head of North Korea, had been assassinated. Similarly, former Chinese president Jiang Zemin’s supposed demise also gained traction on Weibo back in July 2011 before all such news was censored. As of today, both Kim Jong-un and Jiang Zemin are assumed to still be alive. [Status - 12/29/11: blocked; 2/5/12: unblocked; 3/13/12: blocked]

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春药 (aphrodisiac / chūnyào) is a substance that increases sexual desire. Examples of natural aphrodisiacs are ginseng, chocolate, and deer penis (at least in China today). 

Why it is blocked: Even though China has a long history of using aphrodisiacs (purportedly even emperors relied on them to satisfy their harem of concubines), certain discussions about improving one’s virility are apparently taboo (however, 伟哥, aka Viagra, is not blocked). Perhaps this is a public safety measure, what with reports of older sex pill-popping Lotharios dying after engaging in too vigorous sex (in Jin Ping Mei, one of China’s most famous novels, a character dies of an accidental overdose of aphrodisiac pills). There was also a strange rumor in 2011 that an aphrodisiac made of dead babies was being sold in China. [Status (along with 媚药) - 11/26/11: blocked; 2/5/12: blocked]

万武义 (Wan Wuyi) is the director of domestic news at Xinhua, the state news agency.

Why it is blocked: Though a number of CCP leaders and politicians are blocked on Weibo, it may seem odd for a common bureaucrat—albeit a high level one—to merit the same treatment. However, Wan made headlines in 2010 when the Telegraph reported he had possibly defected during a training trip in the UK. Though Wan immediately came out and dispelled the rumors, claiming that back pain had delayed his return trip home, commenters had a field day with the story.

江泽民 (Jiang Zemin) is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002 and as President of the People’s Republic of China from 1993 to 2003.

Why it is blocked: A number of leaders and politicians’ names are banned on Weibo, presumably to prevent insults and virtual paint splattering. Though Jiang has been out of power since 2005 (though he still attended NPC meetings up until 2008), rumors that he was dead pushed Weibo in July to censor all searches with the character 江. Fortunately, one is able to search for rivers again, but Jiang’s full name is still banned. [Status - 12/7/11, 2/5/12, 3/12/12: blocked]