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Also remember lots of things changed under Xi. China never allows political dissidence, but it is under Xi where everything in WeChat is heavily monitored and p

Also remember lots of things changed under Xi. China never allows political dissidence, but it is under Xi where everything in WeChat is heavily monitored and people get arrested for all sorts of minor things. So Xi is personally responsible for the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

chaostheory 7y ago
Before XJ, China seemed to be gradually opening up. IMO it was inevitable that one of their metros would eclipse Silicon Valley. Now with XJ in power, a lockdown on freedom of expression, and a more perfect execution of state policy; I no longer see it happening. It’s more likely that India will have Silicon Valley’s successor in the future, if anyone can produce one
keanzu 7y ago
That's a technological advance and not a policy change. WeChat didn't exist prior to 2011 and Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012.
- datashow 7y ago
  There were other popular social media platforms in the past, such as Sina Weibo and other online discussion boards, which were not heavily monitored as WeChat is.
  - keanzu 7y ago
    Fair enough. At that time, and we are talking going back 10 years now, did the government lack the will or the technical capability to carry out the large scale monitoring?
    - datashow 7y ago
      I don't think it is a technical thing. Remember niubo, which ran from 2006 to 2013? https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%89%9B%E5%8D%9A%E7%BD%91 https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%89%9B%E5%8D%9A%E7%BD%91 It is just a website, there is no technical difficulty to shut it down.
      - simonh 7y ago
        My wife is Chinese and we used to use Skype to video-chat with her family. From about 2008 the only version of Skype you could download in China was called TOM Skype, a modified version with back doors enabling Chinese state surveillance of communications. Links to regular Skype download sites were blocked and redirected you to TOM Skype. So none of this is really new. As technology and platforms have developed, the Chinese state has improved and expanded it's surveillance and suppression apparatus. I'm no fan of Xi and the situation has definitely worsened under him, but this is how the system works.
AareyBaba 7y ago
When Fury Overcomes Fear by Xu Zhangrun - is a good read. The professor who wrote this has been suspended. http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/viral-alarm-when-fury-overcomes-fear http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/viral-a...

chaostheory 7y ago

Before XJ, China seemed to be gradually opening up. IMO it was inevitable that one of their metros would eclipse Silicon Valley. Now with XJ in power, a lockdown on freedom of expression, and a more perfect execution of state policy; I no longer see it happening. It’s more likely that India will have Silicon Valley’s successor in the future, if anyone can produce one

keanzu 7y ago

That's a technological advance and not a policy change. WeChat didn't exist prior to 2011 and Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012.

datashow 7y ago
There were other popular social media platforms in the past, such as Sina Weibo and other online discussion boards, which were not heavily monitored as WeChat is.
- keanzu 7y ago
  Fair enough. At that time, and we are talking going back 10 years now, did the government lack the will or the technical capability to carry out the large scale monitoring?
  - datashow 7y ago
    I don't think it is a technical thing. Remember niubo, which ran from 2006 to 2013? https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%89%9B%E5%8D%9A%E7%BD%91 https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%89%9B%E5%8D%9A%E7%BD%91 It is just a website, there is no technical difficulty to shut it down.
    - simonh 7y ago
      My wife is Chinese and we used to use Skype to video-chat with her family. From about 2008 the only version of Skype you could download in China was called TOM Skype, a modified version with back doors enabling Chinese state surveillance of communications. Links to regular Skype download sites were blocked and redirected you to TOM Skype. So none of this is really new. As technology and platforms have developed, the Chinese state has improved and expanded it's surveillance and suppression apparatus. I'm no fan of Xi and the situation has definitely worsened under him, but this is how the system works.

AareyBaba 7y ago

When Fury Overcomes Fear by Xu Zhangrun - is a good read. The professor who wrote this has been suspended. http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/viral-alarm-when-fury-overcomes-fear http://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/viral-a...