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American Military News
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Chinese police crackdown on writers of online erotic fiction
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. Police in northwestern China are cracking down on writers of online erotic fiction across the country, including many college students,according to RFA sources and media reports, amid concern that officers are punishing people outside their jurisdiction. Police in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, have been summoning writers who don't even live there. A report from Caixin media group said some have been referred to police for prosecution, and anecdotal evidence indicates writers are facing substantial fines. A source who spoke to Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity for safety reasons said the crackdown could involve 200-300 writers. Their cases have also sparked a legal debate over the definition of 'obscene materials' and renewed public discussion on the boundaries of creative freedom. Known as 'Danmei,' the genre features romantic relationships between male characters. It originated in Japan and has become popular in China. Amid tightened restrictions in China, many writers have turned to Haitang Culture, a Taiwanese-based adult fiction website established in 2015 to publish their work. The website on the democratic island doesn't force censorship and allows explicit written content. Most readers are females. Authorities in China have reacted. Last year, two China-based distributors affiliated with Haitang Culture were arrested for 'assisting in information network criminal activities,' according to Shuiping Jiyuan, a news portal on the WeChat social media platform. The recent police crackdown in Lanzhou followed similar moves in the eastern province of Anhui in June 2024, where authorities began arresting writers of online erotic fiction under the charge of 'producing and distributing obscene materials for profit,' resulting in heavy fines and even prison sentences. Police are seeking out writers even when they leave outside their jurisdiction – a practice that critics call 'offshore fishing,' implying the motive of police is financial or political, rather than strictly legal. 'I don't understand what they're trying to do—are they pushing political correctness, or are they just desperate for money?' said Liu Yang, a veteran media professional in Lanzhou, told Radio Free Asia. 'The police are short on funds, and now even arrests have become a way to make money.' Cases in Anhui appeared focused on how much profit writers made. But according to multiple Chinese media reports, police in Lanzhou pursued suspects on the basis of what sort of traffic they were generating. Many of those summoned are young women, including college students. A well-known Chinese online cultural critic Li Yuchen wrote on WeChat that one writer who received only 'two Haitang coins' in tips was also placed under investigation and then moved to prosecutors. Haitang refers to the Taiwan-based fiction website. RFA has sought comment from Haitang Culture but has yet to receive a response. Song Tao, a Chinese university law lecturer, told RFA that Lanzhou police crackdown is one of the most expansive and controversial uses of the law on 'producing, reproducing, publishing, or distributing obscene materials for profit' in recent years. Tsinghua University legal scholar Lao Dongyan expressed concern on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, writing that the use of inconsistent legal standards risks undermining law enforcement and the justice system. The case has triggered intense debate in Chinese legal circles. Several attorneys have posted on Weibo and WeChat offering free legal assistance to the families of those who have been detained. The Emperor's Scandalous History Yunjian, one of the top writers on Haitang Culture, was arrested last year by Anhui police and later sentenced to four years and six months in prison, according to the news portal Shuiping Jiyuan. One of Yujian's top works of fiction, The Emperor's Scandalous History , is about a non-binary emperor who has relationships with male characters, including generals and chancellors. Several fiction writers have posted online about their brush with Lanzhou police, although most online references to the crackdown have been removed from Chinese social media platforms, meaning only screenshots made by other users are still viewable. 'Probably in the past 20 years of my life, I never imagined that my first time flying would be to visit a police station in Lanzhou,' said one writer named Sijindesijin who claimed in a post on Weibo that she'd been contacted by Lanzhou police over stories she earned 4,000 yuan ($670) for. Her post, since deleted, implied that she'd had to fly to Lanzhou to deal with the matter. It wasn't clear where she lived. Some netizens posted on Weibo in support of Sijindesijin, whose handle translates as 'silky silky.' RFA couldn't reach Sijindesijin for comment or confirm the details of what allegedly happened and if the writer was detained. Another writer named Jidepihuangmajia, who described herself as an undergraduate student, wrote in a post on Weibo that she flew to Lanzhou from Chongqing, a municipality which is administratively separate from Lanzhou, to meet with the local police and was asking for help from other users in borrowing money to pay the fine. The writer said that police claimed she had earned 21,313 yuan ($3,044) from writing the stories in question, and she was advised to return the money for a reduced punishment. This writer owed between 50,000 and 60,000 yuan ($7,100 to $8,500), including the fine. Another writer from a top-tier university named Shijieshiyigejudadejingshenbingyuanha, whose handle translates as 'The world is like a giant mental hospital,' claimed in the post that she was taken in for questioning by police and that her university had subsequently canceled her admission to graduate school. Chinese lawyer Ma Guoguang told RFA that under China's Criminal Procedure Law, criminal cases should be investigated by police in the suspect's place of residence or where the alleged crime occurred. 'The legality of Lanzhou police pursuing writers across the country—thousands of kilometers away—under the so-called 'offshore fishing' model is highly questionable,' he said. But Chinese lawyer Tang Hongyang, who defended for several writers arrested by Anhui police last year, explained to Sanlian Lifeweek, an in-depth reporting magazine in China, 'for crimes committed via the internet, there is a special legal provision: any location where the content can be accessed online is considered a place where the consequences of the crime occur.' According to Sanlian Lifeweek, Lanzhou police summoned local readers of Haitang in Lanzhou to serve as witnesses while also summoning writers from other provinces. Ma pointed out that China currently lacks clear judicial interpretations on fictional literary works containing explicit content. According to him, the line between online erotic fiction or adult fiction and actual obscene materials remains undefined, as does the legal threshold for what constitutes 'public harm.' The main guidelines of definition of obscene materials date back more than 20 years and were established when the internet was far less developed. Tsinghua University's Lao argued that the definition should evolve with shifting social attitudes. 'They set relatively low thresholds for what constitutes 'serious circumstances',' Lao wrote in her post. 'But in today's more open environment, the bar for what qualifies as obscenity should clearly be raised.' Ma warned that aggressive criminal enforcement under such vague standards could have a chilling effect on creative writing in China. RFA contacted Lanzhou police but calls went unanswered.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Chinese schools go to extremes to stop students cheating on notorious exam
The gaokao was sat by more than 13 million students in China this year and authorities used facial recognition, metal detectors, drones and phone signal blockers to ensure no one cheated Millions of students in China who sat the country's highly competitive university entrance exam were this year faced with some of the most extreme anti-cheating methods yet. More than 13 million students sat the national two-day exam, known as gaokao, earlier this month. It is the world 's largest academic test and determines whether students can secure a place at university. The record number of people sitting this year's exam experienced a slight change, however, with facial recognition technology, metal detectors, drones and phone signal blockers all regularly used in schools as the Chinese government clamped down on cheating. The methods also involved the use of AI firms, with some of the country's major AI platforms freezing specific functions during test hours. This meant, for example, that if a student tried to upload a picture of an exam question, they were met with a message telling them that the feature was not available, Mail Online reports. One tech giant, Tencent, told those trying to use the platform during exam hours: "Dear user, to ensure the fairness of gaokao, this function is unavailable during gaokao hours. Tencent Yuanbao wishes gaokao sitters all success in the exams." Chinese AI model DeepSeek took up similar measures. When asked if photo recognition was suspended because of the exam, the chat-bot answered: "Yes. Deepseek Chat could temporarily suspend photo recognition for test question search during gaokao and other important exams." The firm added that this was to "ensure fairness in the college entrance examination" with bosses confirming the functions would "return to normal after gaokao". According to China Daily, exam rooms in Benxi, Liaoning were monitored by a real-time intelligent surveillance system that "automatically flags irregular behaviour". This can be anything from whispers to frequent glances between students, the report said. It comes after Chinese authorities announced students would need to pass stricter entry checks before being let into exam rooms. Students were screened for devices such as phones and smartwatches, with security gates at every exam site capable of detecting small metal objects which may be used to cheat. Candidates also underwent facial recognition, fingerprinting or iris scans to prevent people from impersonating those meant to be taking the exams. Identity checks were conducted multiple times before, during and after the tests. "Cheating technologies are evolving every year, so this year's entry screening process is stricter than ever," said Liu Yang, principal of Benxi Senior High School. "At the school gates, students are reminded not to carry prohibited devices, and lockers are provided for safe storage. On exam days, dedicated staff also inspect key areas such as walls, restrooms and bins to prevent any form of external information transmission." Since 2016, anyone caught cheating in an exam in China can be sent to prison. Cheaters face up to seven years in jail and be banned from taking other national education exams for three years.
Al Bawaba
07-05-2025
- Health
- Al Bawaba
China opens first AI-operated hospital
Published May 7th, 2025 - 11:18 GMT ALBAWABA – China has unveiled its first artificial intelligence (AI)-operated hospital, Agent Hospital. Designed to treat a wide range of patients entirely within a virtual environment with AI doctors, nurses, and patients. World's first AI-operated hospital unveiled in China China has opened Agent Hospital, the world's first artificial intelligence (AI) hospital, where patients will be treated by virtual, AI-generated doctors."The concept of an AI hospital town, where virtual patients are treated by AI doctors, holds immense significance for both medical professionals and the general public. The AI hospital aims to train doctor agents through a simulated environment so that it can autonomously evolve and improve its ability to treat disease," stated the Beijing-based Global Times. The hospital's doctors, nurses, and patients are all controlled by AI agents and large language models (LLMs). Notably, AI doctors can treat approximately 1,000 patients in just a few days—far surpassing the capacity of human doctors. Agent Hospital, China's first AI hospital is designed to treat a wide range of patients entirely within a virtual environment with AI doctors, nurses, and patients. (Shutterstock) "AI hospital town can simulate and predict various medical scenarios, such as the spread, development and control of infectious diseases in a region," stated Liu Yang, Research team leader of the Agent Hospital. Liu added that AI virtual doctors not only treat patients but also have the capacity to teach, train, and supervise medical students. Moreover, students can practice on AI-generated patients, allowing them to gain experience without posing any risk to real human patients. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
L'Orient-Le Jour
02-05-2025
- Science
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Three astronauts of the Shenzhou-19 mission return to Earth
Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Wednesday after spending six months in the national Tiangong space station ("Heavenly Palace"), according to a state media outlet, marking another step in China's assertion into space power. The capsule carrying the trio, including Wang Haoze, the third Chinese woman in space, landed shortly after 1 p.m. (0500 GMT) in Inner Mongolia (north of China), the Xinhua news agency reported. This marks the end of the Shenzhou-19 mission. China had postponed the crew's return, initially scheduled for Tuesday, due to poor weather conditions on the ground. The country has invested billions of euros in its space program to catch up with the U.S. and Russia. It hopes to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2030 and build a lunar base. The three astronauts of Shenzhou-19 had been working in the space station since October. They conducted numerous experiments, contributed to Tiangong's maintenance, and set a new record for the longest spacewalk in history (over nine hours). Among the three astronauts of Shenzhou-19 was 35-year-old Wang Haoze. The only Chinese aerospace engineer at the time of the mission launch, she became the third Chinese woman to reach space - after Liu Yang (2012) and Wang Yaping (2013). The crew was led by Cai Xuzhe, 48, an experienced astronaut who had already participated in Shenzhou-14. They were accompanied by Song Lingdong, a 34-year-old former air force pilot, who was on his first space flight. Three new astronauts took off last week to Tiangong, marking the start of the Shenzhou-20 mission. They cohabited for a few days with their Shenzhou-19 colleagues.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chinese Convertible Bonds Entice Investors Extending AI Bets
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese investors' zeal for artificial intelligence-related assets fanned by DeepSeek has spread to convertible bonds, sending a benchmark index to its highest in more than two years. Why Barcelona Bought the Building That Symbolizes Its Housing Crisis Progressive Portland Plots a Comeback Por qué Barcelona compró el edificio que simboliza su crisis inmobiliaria A Filmmaker's Surreal Journey Into His Own Private Winnipeg How to Build a Neurodiverse City The CSI Convertible Bond Index has risen 3.3% this year, hitting its highest since August 2022 on Tuesday and tracking gains in the stock benchmark gauge. Shanghai Runda Medical Technology Co. and Thalys Medical Technology Group, two of the companies expected to benefit from AI integration, have seen their convertibles soar more than 22% and 16%, respectively, this year. The gains add to the rally convertible bonds have seen since Beijing announced a slew of stimulus measures for economic growth in September. While CBs' lukewarm start to the year portended a stall in the rally, Chinese startup DeepSeek's potential ignited a tech frenzy in late January and changed the landscape on AI bets in China. 'China convertible bonds are still lucrative even with a rebound in recent months,' Liu Yang, a fund manager at HSBC Jintrust Fund Management Co. said, citing 'reasonable' pricing, low government bond yields and AI's impact on the economy that will be sustained. More anticipated government policy support that may spur a recovery will also propel them higher, he said. A rosier outlook for convertible bonds has rendered something of a haven for fixed-income investors scouring for decent returns in a market with historically low sovereign yields and tepid growth. Mitigated Risk The auspicious start to the year follows a string of messy developments for CBs in 2024, including the first-ever default in the onshore debt market and payment warnings. The CSI CB index hit a three-year low in September, while the years-long property crisis in China also loomed over the broader credit market. But Beijing's stimulus blitz in mid-September that helped revive the stock market also jumpstarted convertibles' rebound that has largely kept up. The CSI CB index ended 2024 about 6% higher, thanks to a rally late in the year. Some convertibles with riskier ratings also may be looking more attractive given the pool of options for high-yield chasers is narrowing in China. Two issuers rated junk last year — D&O Home Collection Group Co. and Zhangjiagang Guangda Special Material Co. — have seen their bonds nearly double from midyear months in 2024. 'China high yield space has shrunk materially in the past few years,' said Christopher Li, head of Asia credit trading desk analysts at BNP Paribas. A limited supply of new issues could also help sustain the CB market momentum, Lv Pin, chief fixed income analyst at Topsperity Securities Co., said. Issuance slumped to 38.4 billion yuan ($5.3 billion) in 2024, the lowest in eight years, as authorities began cracking down on who's qualified to issue such debt. 'Credit risk, which triggered a previous selloff across the board, has been mitigated gradually,' Lv said. The Undocumented Workers Who Helped Build Elon Musk's Texas Gigafactory The Unicorn Boom Is Over, and Startups Are Getting Desperate Japan Perfected 7-Eleven. Why Can't the US Get It Right? The NBA Has Fallen Into an Efficiency Trap How Silicon Valley Swung From Obama to Trump ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
