In September 14, 2010, Nanjing’s Modern Express reported that Pizhou (邳州), a city in eastern Jiangsu province, had issued a new policy against school teachers “flinging off remarks” (乱讲话) or “doing what they shouldn’t.” The report said that three teachers in Pizhou had already been detained for allegedly spreading “untruthful language” on the Internet. The Pizhou policy said teachers “must pay careful attention to impressions, and in speaking about politics or the overall situation, they must not do what they must not do, and must not say what they must not say.” Hearing this news, Internet users in China chattered about precisely what words or behavior this cryptic phrase pointed to. In this cartoon, posted by artist Cao Yi (曹一) to his QQ blog, a gargantuan black-clad education official labeled “XX Education Bureau” shoves a computer monitor with a big red X on it into the mouth of a teacher with his “curriculum” tucked under his arm.


David Bandurski

CMP Director

Latest Articles