The following post by Liu Buchen (刘步尘) on the editorial attack last week against the United States and its ambassador to China, Gary Locke, was deleted from Sina Weibo sometime before 6:02am Hong Kong time today, May 7, 2012. Liu Buchen, a corporate public relations expert who frequently writes for Chinese media, including Southern Metropolis Daily, currently has more than 197,000 followers, according to numbers from Sina Weibo. [More on deleted posts at the WeiboScope Search, by the Journalism and Media Studies Centre].

Let’s see whether you dare make a show before the Chinese people again.

Liu Buchen’s post is a caption for a striking Photoshopped image that depicts U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke being persecuted in the way typical during China’s Cultural Revolution. He kneels down to face bitter criticism and physical abuse, a placard hung around his neck. Locke’s name in Chinese. Luo Jiahui (骆家辉), is crossed out. The text above it reads as list of supposed crimes, such as “buying coffee with discount coupons” and “carrying your own backpack.” These man-in-the-street gestures by Locke since he began serving as ambassador last year have drawn a great deal of attention on China’s social media, but the official editorials on May 4 accused Locke of using “little tricks.”
The large caption immediately below the image of the kneeling Locke reads: “The only way out for Ambassador Locke is to be whole-heartedly corrupt!”

看你还敢给中国人作秀。