THE following post by Renmin University of China professor and former CMP fellow Zhang Ming (张鸣), was deleted shortly before 11PM on September 9, 2016. The post comments on China’s policy toward its neighbour, North Korea, in the wake of yet another North Korean nuclear test earlier that day just 50 miles from the Chinese border. The post was made at 7:20PM on September 9, and was public for more than three hours before being removed.
North Korea ignites one nuclear explosion and we are firmly opposed, resolving the problem through negotiation. After a second explosion, we are firmly opposed, resolving the problem through negotiation. Now we have a fifth explosion. We are still firmly opposed, and talk of resolving the problem through negotiation. The problem gets bigger and bigger, and we are more and more firmly opposed. But there is only firmness, nothing else.
Zhang Ming currently has more than 870,000 people following his Weibo account.
Zhang’s original Chinese-language post follows:
朝鲜核爆一次,我们坚决反对,以谈判解决问题,核爆两次,我们坚决反对,谈判解决问题,现在第五次了,我还是坚决反对,以谈判解决问题。问题是越来越大了,我们也越来越坚决了。但是,只有坚决,没有别的。