, Columnist
Chinese Netizens Take on Communist Party Over U.S. Debt Deal: Adam Minter
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On July 31, when Democrats and Republicans reached a last-minute compromise on the United States' debt, Chinese state-owned media openly blasted the U.S., railed against the failures of the West, and used the American political crisis to warn Chinese citizens about the dangers of democracy.
Generally, the millions of citizens active on Chinese microblogs welcome such criticism of the U.S. and the West. Before the debt deal, they had routinely voiced their anger and derision at the U.S. over the debt crisis. But contrary to the wishes of the Chinese Communist Party officials who control the state media, ordinary Chinese microbloggers think they deserve a say in China’s public affairs.