A German “pro-China” influencer grew to become the newest goal of nationalist ire after her writing on Germany’s legalization of leisure hashish use was interpreted as a name for China to “stay with medicine.” Navina Heyden, a China-based influencer of minor reputationnot too long ago shared along with her 800,000 Weibo followers her opinion that alcohol is extra harmful than marijuana. “As to what insurance policies China ought to undertake,” she wrote, “this all relies on Chinese language social customs, medical advances, and the outcomes of [legalization] experiments in all places.” Maybe anticipating some pushback, Heyden additionally added the caveat, “Notice: I’m solely writing about Germany, Germany, Germany. This has nothing to do with China. Nothing! Nothing in any respect! I’m indirectly or not directly implying a requirement that China transfer to legalize.”
The publish precipitated an uproar nonetheless. The Chinese language authorities promotes the battle towards illicit medicine as a “folks’s conflict,” framing it in a lot the identical method as efforts to comprise the coronavirus pandemic. In the course of the marketing campaign towards COVID between 2020 and 2022, the federal government revealed strongly worded editorials denouncing those that would “stay with the virus” somewhat than stick with the zero-COVID policy of the instances. On-line, many used related language to denounce Heyden for allegedly intimating that China may in the future resolve to “stay with medicine.” Even the Beijing Narcotics Management Fee weighed in on Weibo, writing (seemingly in response to Heyden’s publish), “Don’t fall underneath the affect of Western narcotics tradition, not to mention advocate for the legalization of medicine with out contemplating the nationwide context—or worse, make nonsensical arguments in favor of narcotics legalization.”
Heyden deleted the publish and revealed a number of explanations trying to defend herself. Others got here to her protection, notably nationalist firebrand Hu Xijin, who recommended that Chinese language netizens rally round Heyden to disclaim Western critics the chance to crow over her Chinese language nationalist supporters turning on her. Mockingly, whereas Chinese language organized crime syndicates are highly effective gamers within the illicit marijuana commerce in america, the Chinese language authorities has described the legalization of marijuana in different international locations as a direct “menace to China,” attributing elevated hashish smuggling into China to worldwide legalization efforts.
The Chinese language social-media debate round Germany’s legalization of hashish occurred to overlap with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s state go to to China. At Reuters, Andreas Rinke reported that a Chinese language scholar requested the chancellor whether or not guests to Germany are required to smoke hashish whereas learning in Germany:
Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday reassured Chinese language college students in Shanghai that they didn’t must smoke hashish in the event that they studied in Germany and that Germany had legalized hashish hoping that consumption would go down.
Scholz made the feedback in response to a query from a scholar at Tongji College, who requested whether or not he must smoke hashish if he studied in Germany, because the drug was not authorized in China.
[…] “We don’t need extra folks to devour hashish, we would like fewer folks to devour hashish, we would like there to be extra public schooling about it,” Scholz stated.
“The reply may be very easy: don’t smoke. I’ll be 66 this 12 months and I’ve by no means smoked hashish.” [Source]
The scholar was broadly mocked on Chinese language social media: “That is like asking: Chinese language folks love baijiu, should change college students drink it whereas learning in China? Utter nonsense.”
The scholar’s query additionally revived rising considerations {that a} mixture of presidency censorship, misinformation, and lurid content material (a few of it blatantly racist or discriminatory) on Chinese language social media is impoverishing Chinese language residents’ understanding of the world exterior of China. China Media Mission not too long ago translated an article (“Who’s Seeing the Actual America?” by Liu Yi and Yang Jing) that was initially revealed within the Chinese language-language outlet Initium. The article examined how Chinese language-language social media has satisfied hundreds of thousands that the world exterior China is a lawless hellscape:
When you stay in mainland China and use Baidu to seek for what “zero-dollar purchasing” is, the primary end result will let you know: “In China, theft constitutes against the law whatever the quantity; however within the US, theft as much as a certain quantity shouldn’t be categorized as against the law.”
[…] In August 2023, a comic book titled “American-Model ‘Zero-Greenback Buying’ Received’t Cease!” was revealed on-line by China Radio Worldwide, a part of the China Media Group steady underneath the direct management of the CCP’s Central Propaganda Division. Within the unique Chinese language, it exhibits a bunch of thieves fleeing in panic, laden with jewellery and luxurious items, whereas one proclaims confidently, “I’ve carried out this so many instances, there’s nothing I don’t have already got!” Beneath, two traces of textual content relate that “In keeping with CNN and different US media, there have been dozens of ‘flash mob’ robberies at purchasing facilities and luxurious shops in Los Angeles prior to now three days. Comparable incidents have additionally occurred past California in Washington, New York, and Ohio, inflicting panic amongst companies and the general public.” It’s exhausting to see the logical connection between this and the cartoon, however that didn’t cease main information portals like NetEase (網易) and ByteDance’s Jinri Toutiao (今日頭條) from republishing it.
[…] A lot of the content material revealed by most of these [nationalist] accounts reaches far and extensive, with tens of 1000’s of views, likes, and feedback. Many of the feedback reveal an unwavering perception within the veracity of “zero-dollar purchasing” and undertake a mocking tone. Some boost the unique publish with extra exaggerated claims, writing that “You may take no matter you need however in the event you exceed the [monetary] restrict you’ll be detained.” Others apply anti-Black sentiment to the Chinese language context, predicting that they are going to “quickly have the identical in Guangzhou,” which is dwelling to Asia’s largest African migrant inhabitants. Many others added unabashedly racist feedback like “The Blacks are stocking up once more” and “Black buying brokers provide truthful offers to everybody.” A number of customers expressed doubts about “zero-dollar purchasing” however have been rapidly drowned out by the ridicule of others. [Source]
