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Global Affairs: One Blog, Censorship & China

Ai Weiwei is an artist and blogger. He contributed to the design of the Bird’s Nest Stadium in China. And, more recently, his blog has attracted a lot of attention for his steep criticism of the Chinese Government. As the New York Times reports, “Mr. Ai criticizes the government’s management of the disaster response and chides officials for still not having provided a full accounting of schoolchildren’s deaths, which he and many others attribute to poorly constructed schools.” In a phone interview he says, “I’m really tired of this bull… I went there, and I saw the school building collapsed, and next to it is a building that is fine.”

Many think Ai’s site would have been shut down by now, but it hasn’t. This article relates well with our recent Travel Chronicle featuring Mattathias Schwartz – who has also written for the Times. Looking at Matt’s impressions of China and this article, it’s easy to see the varying perspectives on a country that rails against transparency. You’re never sure what their response will be. [View the Article]