Chinese app Sina Weibo blocks accounts of singers over satirical song against Beijing
Oct 17, 2021
Beijing [China] October 18 : Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo on Saturday blocked the accounts of Malaysian rapper Namewee and Taiwan-based Australian singer Kimberley Chen after the duo released a video song mocking China's 'communist' regime.
The song, written by Namewee, includes references to Chinese netizens being easily offended, and to Xi Jinping's repression of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Taiwan News reported.
The video of the song opens with a warning stating, "Please be cautious if you are fragile pink".
And both the singers have also made references to various subjects tied to China.
"It's illegal to breach the firewall, you'll be missed if the Pooh discovers it," they sing, hitting out at censorship and alluding to comparisons between Xi's look and the character Winnie the Pooh, which led to images of the latter being banned in China, Taiwan News reported.
The song also features the term "common prosperity," the theme of Xi's most recent political campaign.
While a panda figure dances and works in the background, the two singers make references to various subjects tied to China. They mention the love for "dogs, cats, bats, and civets" in an apparent allusion to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan News reported.
They released the song at a time when China is being slammed worldwide for disrespecting the personal freedom of people. This has become one of the topmost reasons for fading Beijing prestige under President Xi Jinping.
A poll released last week by the Pew Research Center showed that an average of 69 per cent of respondents in 17 developed economies -- the highest ever -- hold a negative view of China, mainly because Beijing does not respect people's personal freedom.
Meanwhile, Beijing is also feeling Western pressure over its gross human rights abuses, and it is angrily wielding its entire arsenal of instruments to refute allegations and deflect criticism. In January 2021 the USA was the first to accuse China of genocide, with others following suit as diplomatic pressure ramps up.
