China Starts Censoring Phone Calls Mid Sentence 366
bhagwad writes "Several reports have emerged that China is cutting off phone calls mid-sentence when contentious words like 'protest' are used. Seems like China's draconian censorship regime is going into overdrive with even more sophisticated censoring. Of course, this comes on the heels of Google accusing them of mucking around with Gmail as well."
First-hand testimony: (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Who cares? (Score:4, Interesting)
Typical ignorant American viewpoint. Here's an idea: why don't you try asking some, you know, actual Chinese people if they want to overthrow their government? The New York Times article linked carefully avoids asking this question, as you'll notice. The article's all about prissy Beijing expats having a hissy fit because they can't get to facebook and twitter any more because their VPNs were blocked. The answer is assumed as the Chinese people want to overthrow their government. It's called "reciting the narrative", and it's a common way that journalists get to make shit up.
Surprise! Chinese people don't want to overthrow their government. *cough* (awkward silence) Things are better now in China than they ever have been in history. Things are only getting better every day. The worst thing that could happen is an attempt to overthrow the government. Nobody knows China's last 150 years of history, which was basically one disaster after another. The nation was divided and without a common language, and Mao united the people under one flag, stopped the wars of province against province, and gave the people the gift of a common language that could unite their diverse cultures.
But no, the only reason that China should keep its government has zippo to do with Chinese, and everything to do with America. Because whatever it is, all over the world, it always comes back to how America thinks. The navel-gazing makes me sick. So fucking parochial and ignorant of outside. +5 Insightful, eh, Slashdot?
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Interesting)
It does for the Chinese. It strengthens them and weakens the West. There will be a point where they won't need to continue exporting cheap stuff, where they have not just resources and wealth, but technology.
Then, expect to see some really nasty things happen:
First, there is the low hanging fruit, Taiwan. This little island has been a prize just out of reach, and it is only a matter of time before China gets bold enough to annex them. Think the US would start a nuclear conflict over an island? Won't happen. It is only a matter of time before this becomes just as part of China as Hong Kong did.
South Korea is also a prize, and having their puppet to the north start a protracted conflict in order to cripple the Western economy by a thorough shelling of Seoul would be a major military coup. China wouldn't even be faulted if state of the art weaponry (both conventional and nuclear) managed to appear in the DPRK. The US involved in North Korea also means another theater of war that the West has to fight but China doesn't.
It would almost be trivial for China to cripple the Western economy in just 24 hours by a two pronged attack (overrunning Taiwan and getting Kim to shell his southern neighbor), with little to no threat of retaliation from the US. China knows this, and the only thing stopping them from this is because they still have intelligence to gain from Western businesses and a benefit from one-sided trade practices.
hmm (Score:5, Interesting)
Though you might want to get used to the sound of knocking on your door if you carry out extensive trials.....
Re:Alright guys... (Score:4, Interesting)
The differences between China and Tunisia/Egypt/Yemen/even-Libya are pretty dramatic. If those governments are dominoes toppling each other, China's is a brick.
Re:In the USA ... (Score:2, Interesting)
$7 dialup provides 14GB/month
If that's regular 56k you can only download about 590 MB a day if you download at full speed 24 hours.
56,000 kb/s = 7 kB/s*3600*24=604,800 kB per day/1024=590.625 MB or 18.3 GB in a 31 day month. I'm not even sure what putting a limit of 14 GB/month is supposed to accomplish with dialup.
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Interesting)
It is only a matter of time before this becomes just as part of China as Hong Kong did.
You mean a peaceful transition that leaves them with some autonomy? Yeah, I think you are correct.
South Korea is also a prize
No, it's a threat. It is the US on their doorstep. They would drop support for North Korea in a heartbeat if the US wasn't so cuddly with South Korea. (Well, there's a bit of an issue about dealing with a refugee flood...)
and the only thing stopping them from this is because they still have intelligence to gain from Western businesses and a benefit from one-sided trade practices.
In other words, we have mutual economic interests. I suspect we will have these mutual interests for a very long time.
You understand that China is not being totally paranoid? They have a huge Russian border, an Indian border, a coastline right across from Japan, and they are physically attached to the Korean Peninsula. The Russians don't exactly love the Chinese, nor do the Indians, and they were sacked and raped by Japan. The US is cozy with Japan, Taiwan, and has a major presence in Korea. I think it is important that we keep all of this in mind when dealing with the Chinese.
Also, your analysis is a bit one-sided. Any military effort on China's part - and it would be a significant effort to invade Taiwan - would pull troops away that could otherwise be used to defend the other borders. It would also reduce their ability to quell internal unrest. I'm pretty sure that terrifies Chinese leaders.
Re:Who cares? (Score:4, Interesting)
Think the US would start a nuclear conflict over an island?
China was a nuclear power during the Vietnam War, why no nukes then, eh? Developed nuclear powers, including China, have a lot more restraint than you probably want to admit to yourself. The United States has proven several times already that, nuclear weapons or no, it is not afraid to get into a proxy war with China. There is even an official DoD plan for US military assistance to ROC/Taiwan: OPlan 5077-04. Whether or not the DoD follows through is up to the political climate at that time and the personality and priorities of the C-in-C.
Korea is not a one dimensional subject, especially for the Chinese. Chinese and Koreans are very close to each other culturally and have been allies several times against Japan. North Korea is a burden to the PRC, not nearly enough of a puppet for the CCP's liking, and quite frankly I think it's a more likely scenario that when DPRK implodes, China will swoop in and use the excuse of reinstating order to make North Korea a protectorate. It will probably be a lot smoother overall than their western AR's.
China would have to suffer a massive economic setback before it would consider starting World War 3. Right now China is about business, and as much as everybody wants to navel gaze and imagine the US is so, so important, much of China's trade is closer to home. The economic and political fallout of striking against all the local partners it has would be immense, and the whole endeavor would be foolish. The Chinese are too wise to do it.
This happened to me recently on Skype (Score:4, Interesting)
I was talking to my mother from Beijing over Skype and mentioned that I went to the Mao mausoleum, and said to her that the Communist party likes to keep Mao around to bolster their image.
It seems like those keywords must have triggered something because right after that, the call became inaudible. I tried calling her back, but it was the same.
I then called her cell phone (a different number) which was fine until we restarted that topic. Then the same thing happened.
Finally I had to call my dad and asked him to tell her I couldn't call back.