Beijing China - China’s tight internet censorship may be faltering as the Chinese regime’s factional infighting continues. The country's largest search engine, Baidu, now gives search results including New Tang Dynasty Television reports on the Chinese regime’s persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice.
Analysts say these search results are a significant reflection of the power struggle that’s going on within the Communist Party. Both NTD and Falun Gong are considered taboo by the Chinese regime, and internet searches usually either turn up with no results or negative material.
But that appears to be changing. This Chinese NTD report turned up on Baidu with the search term “Beijing Trial of Jiang’s Blood Debt Faction.” It refers to bringing to justice the perpetrators of the 13-year-long persecution of Falun Gong.
A separate search also turned up this NTD report about a recent petition by 300 villagers to free a Falun Gong practitioner. This public petition has reportedly been circulated within senior Communist officials, with some urging a peaceful resolution to the issue.
The persecution of Falun Gong was led by former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, and has been carried out by individuals including security czar Zhou Yongkang and disgraced Party official Bo Xilai. Current Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao have not been directly involved in the persecution. The two factions are currently locked in a power struggle.
China analysts believe these Baidu search results are directly related to the political struggle.
[Wen Zhao, NTD Senior China Analyst]:
“The uncensored period for this report is quite long, it considered to be a very sensitive topic, and the result turned up at a very sensitive time, so it should not be considered a coincidence. It means that within the senior ranks of the Communist Party there are people who want to make breakthroughs on the Falun Gong issue, this is a key factor separating these leaders from that of Zhou Yongkang’s blood debt faction.”
[Xia Xiaoqiang, China Commentator]:
“I think Hu and Wen are both testing public opinion and paving the way for taking down Zhou, and also. Recent events have been clear that Zhou’s downfall is just ahead. For example, Hebei prosecutor sending back the case against the Falun Gong practitioner; Yunnan Communist Party members issuing an open letter to purge Zhou and Baidu recently allow searches on calls to remove the PLAC.”
This is not the first time that sensitive topics have appeared on Baidu since the factional infighting began. Back in March, after Chongqing Police Chief Wang Lijun ran to a U.S. Consulate, reports about his involvement in the organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners could be found using Baidu.