Chen Weijun

The Beijing News in the wake of the Southern Weekend refuses to publish an article imposed by communist propaganda. After a long standoff, the government wins, but entire editorial staff protests online. Meanwhile back at the newsstand, albeit with some difficulty, the Guangzhou weekly that first started the protest against government censorship.

The Southern Weekend took to the streets against state censorship and the article removed on 1 January. Hundreds of ordinary people alongside journalists: strike, demonstrations, support blogs, photos and chrysanthemum petals to commemorate the death of press freedom. The regime under pressure and other newspapers attack: "We need a review of state censorship."

The case of a family planning official has shaken the country. She sold at least four infants, who were then resold for more money. The law that killed 200 million Chinese must be repealed.

A group of 71 professors and analysts nationwide asks the party to stop political interference in national courts and stop the censorship on the internet. The promoter: "We are not asking for anything that is contrary to the wishes of the government, but we have to do so sooner rather than later or end up in social chaos". But the situation remains unchanged: summary arrests and deaths in prison are increasingly on the agenda.

The new politburo meets to launch a new morality campaign to regain the trust of the people. Public money will no longer be wasted on red carpets or flower arrangements to honour travelling party bosses. Widespread corruption remains the problem for the party at every level. In Guangdong, anti-kickback regulations are adopted but they lack proper auditing.

Bo's "actions created grave repercussions, and massively damaged the reputation of the party and the state," Xinhua reports. Forensic scientist casts doubts on the official version of British businessman's death. Party congress set for 8 November.

Research by a Chinese historian sheds light on the situation in China's rural areas, still under heavy-handed Communist rule. The Great Leap Forward might be past history, but peasants still live with its legacy at the bottom of the social heap. Data confirm that rural populations have lower wages and lack adequate health care or education as their land is seized and given over to capitalists.

A story published in the Changjiang Times sheds some light on the world's second largest economy. Despite a government budget of US$ 1.3 trillion, children have to carry their own desks and chairs to school.

For the first time in four years, the governments of Japan and north Korea held talks in Beijing, formally on issues relating to Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula, informally on Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Beijing, which has accepted Japan's truce offer over the Diayou/Senkaku, was behind the meeting.

Residents take to the streets to have power plant shut down. For years, it pumped lead into children's blood. The authorities close the plant but try to cover up the damages, igniting an even angrier popular response. Analysts and even state newspapers warn that limit has been reached and a new balance between the economy and the environment must be found.

In the last two days popular demonstrations have verged on hysteria over Japanese "abuses" on the disputed archipelago. In Shenzhen, more than 20 thousand people overturned Japanese cars and smashed shops and restaurants from the Land of Rising Sun under the eyes of police, who did not intervene. Experts agree: "It is convenient for Beijing to let people vent their frustrations. But if the demonstrations were to degenerate, they are ready with the repression. "

New rules proposed by the Civil Affairs Department would impose new restrictions on NGOs in the name of transparency. Financial statements must be more readily available and use of funds must be restricted. "Transparency is good, but it should be applied to all societal fields," source tells AsiaNews.