China World

“Shameful Exhibition of Self-importance”: Chinese Netizens Condemn Socialist Core Values Graffiti on London Street

Many individuals are skeptical of the notion that those behind the Brick Lane graffiti were involved in creating meaningful street art.

Published

2 years ago

August 12, 2023

What's on Weibo Team

In London’s Brick Lane, a wall covered with Chinese slogan graffiti sparked backlash from local art communities and Chinese diaspora recently, with many perceiving the graffiti as a show of support for the Chinese Communist Party. While some voices in China’s social media sphere defended the graffiti, many others condemned the makers for being disrespectiful and arrogant.

On August 5th, bold red Chinese characters were spray painted on a white wall in Brick Lane, a renowned London street celebrated for its iconic graffiti art. The incident has been all the talk this week – not just in the English-language social media sphere, but also among Chinese netizens.

Originally, the Brick Lane wall was adorned by a mixed style of paintings, including black-and-white portraits Mr. Bean and Wednesday Addams, along with a piece of graffiti that served as a tribute to the late street artist Marty.

However, a group of young Chinese, including art students at London’s Royal College of Art, white-painted over the original graffiti and then inscribed 24 red Chinese characters, collectively forming the 12 “core socialist values” that align with ideals endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Hello from Brick Lane!
Woke up bright and early to check out this mad graffiti in Brick Lane (Shoreditch) that has sparked quite a huge backlash from local art community and Chinese community.

Note the ‘No Xi Dictatorship’ sticker stuck in between 愛國 pic.twitter.com/qxFqGFI5c7

— Kit Y (@itskityaulee) August 6, 2023

The 12 values, written in 24 Chinese characters, are the national values of “prosperity”, “democracy”, “civility” and “harmony”; the social values of “freedom”, “equality”, “justice” and the “rule of law”; and the individual values of “patriotism”, “dedication”, “integrity” and “friendship.” In mainland China, it is quite common to come across these values on walls, billboards or community posters (see image below).

“Core socialist values” displayed inside a Beijing community, photo by What’s on Weibo.

While a majority of these values harmonize with Western expectations (integrity, patriotism, civility, etc.), certain ones seem inconsistent with the typical Western understanding of China, given China’s historic reluctance to embrace Western-style political democracy. Terms like freedom, justice, equality, democracy, and rule of law, originally introduced from the West, may be perceived differently within different political contexts.

Although these slogans, endorsed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, are so common and uncontroversial in China, their debut on London street received wide criticism from different communities.

Some people called the students “CCP thugs” while others wondered if this was “art or vandalism.”

Local artists primarily expressed anger over the students painting over culturally significant graffiti artworks. The Chinese expatriate community in Britain appeared predominantly upset about the underlying message of the graffiti.

Soon after, the Chinese slogans were masked by fresh graffiti that vigorously criticized Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party, questioning the party’s commitment to the values it claims to uphold, like “equality” and “freedom.” Temporarily, the graffiti wall transformed into a anti-Beijing platform to protest against the 12 socialist core values showcased there.

The wall changed into an anti-Beijing protest wall. One slogan underneath the original socialist value graffiti says “Never forget June 4.” Via “Weareallchainedwomen” Instagram account.

As anticipated, there are also many voices from within China endorsing the Brick Lane socialist graffiti. Below a Weibo post showcasing images of the new graffiti (albeit without clear contextualization of the situation), some users assert in the comment section that artists have the freedom to express themselves. They argue that adding English translations could enhance foreigners’ appreciation of the socialist values.

Political commentator Hu Xijin wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Chinese students who covered London’s Brick Lane with socialist core values graffiti are facing death threats. These students’ original intention was probably to test the true limits on Western ‘freedom of speech.’ And here are the limits.”

Hu’s views were reiterated on social media, where some commenters suggested that there is a certain hypocrisy in the West about what is considered ‘politically correct’ and what is not, arguing that the graffiti only caused controversy due to Western anti-Chinese sentiments.

“The Price of Freedom”

Nevertheless, a substantial number of Chinese netizens have shown disapproval towards the actions of these students. Unlike communities outside of China that critique Party propaganda and related factors such as the Chinese government’s influence over students abroad, the attention within China has shifted towards condemning the behavior of these Chinese students engaging in political graffiti in the first place.

Within some Weibo comment sections, netizens call the students’ actions “unneccesary,” “provocative” and “trouble-making.” On other social media platforms, Chinese netizens have also labeled their acts as “a shameful exhibition of self-importance.”

Not long after the graffiti went viral, the creators behind it stepped forward on social media. On Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, they presented their work as a bold manifestation of a broader campaign to celebrate freedom and stimulate discussions, claiming their work was not necessarily political but both social and philosophical, invoking concepts such as logocentrism and cultural colonialism. The fact that some people felt sad about other artists’ creative works being covered was simply referred to as “the price of freedom.”

A screenshot of one of the students’ posts on Xiaohongshu. The creator’s Xiaohongshu account is now unavailable, but similar message can be found on their Instagram (source).

Not everyone bought into the idea that these Chinese students were engaged in meaningful and thought-provoking street art. Instead, many viewed them as more arrogant than artistic. Particularly, their decision to cover the tribute to Marty, the deceased street artist, was met with condemnation from netizens. Videos and articles explaining the significance of artist Marty have spread widely across social media platforms, highlighting how these students’ actions showed ignorance in painting over artwork that other graffiti artists had deliberately avoided out of respect. A video expounding on Marty’s importance amassed over 82,000 reposts on WeChat, prompting numerous comments accusing the creators of extreme disrespect.

However, certain Weibo users highlighted that a straightforward Google Street View search demonstrates that the graffiti on the Brick Lane wall undergoes frequent changes, and the wall is occasionally covered with posters as well.

Regardless, people question if the graffiti could be considered a work of art at all. For many Chinese who are used to seeing these socialist core values in China’s public spaces, the 24 characters have no artistic meaning at all – instead, they are perceived as mere tools for political propaganda. Some people voice that, in their view, ubiquitous political propaganda slogans such as these could never qualify as “art.”

By the morning of August 7th, all signs of the socialist core values had vanished from Brick Lane, obscured under a fresh coat of white paint. The Tower Hamlets Council, responsible for the London Brick Lane area, had removed the graffiti in line with its policy against “unwanted and illegal graffiti.”

As the white paint conceals the vivid red Chinese characters on the street wall in London, a wave of censorship also masks the intense debates about the students’ actions in China.

On August 10th, discussions on the topic on Weibo have dwindled, with many videos and photos suddenly becoming unavailable. Remaining discussions on the Brick Lane graffiti only display blank, censored images on Weibo.

A Weibo post about Brick Lane graffiti: the graffiti images have been censored on Weibo (screenshot via What’s on Weibo).

However, neither the fresh layer of white paint nor domestic censorship pacifies the controversy surrounding the graffiti. In the late afternoon of August 7th, the wall was again adorned with new signs, slogans, and posters related to China, drawing a gathering of tourists and local residents eager to capture photographs and igniting conversations.

Propaganda, art, an invitation to reconsider slogans in public spaces, an exploration of freedom of expression? No matter the true intention behind the socialist slogans on Brick Lane, if fostering discussions was indeed one of the objectives, the students have unquestionably succeeded.

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Featured image: Images via 红歌会网 Weibo account and via “Weareallchainedwomen” Instagram account.

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China Military

“Li Jingjing Was Here”: Chinese Netizens React to Rumors of “Chinese Soldiers” in Russia

“We should tell Li Jingjing to come home. Risking your life on the battlefield for Russia is not worth it!”

Published

3 days ago

March 3, 2025

Manya Koetse

A video that has been making its rounds on X and Bluesky on March 2/3 has fueled speculation about whether Chinese nationals might be serving in Russian military units.

Ukrainian commentator and former adviser to Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Anton Gerashchenko, posted:

“A video appeared online that reportedly shows Chinese people wearing a Russian military uniform. One of them has a marking of a Russian Bars military unit. It is reported that the video was filmed in the Pokrovsk direction, Donetsk region. The video has not been verified, it is unclear where and when it was filmed.”

The footage shows two soldiers inside an abandoned building, with one of them writing in Chinese on the wall: “Li Jingjing was here” (“李晶晶到此一游”). The two also exchange a few words in Chinese, saying things like, “Ah, I wrote it wrong again.” One of them wears an armlet belonging to BARS (Combat Army Reserve of Russia) military unit.

On one side of the wall, the words “-Wèi Precision Installation” (..卫精工安装) are written.

Other X accounts, including the influential Chinese account @whyyoutouzhele, pro-Ukrainian Oriannalyla (@Lyla_lilas) and UAVoyager (@NAFOvoyager) also posted the video on March 2nd, alleging that the footage came from Selydove, Donetsk region, and shows Chinese soldiers as part of Russian forces in the Pokrovsky direction. The source of the video posted by the second X user is the Telegram channel “Donbas Operative.”

Meanwhile, on Weibo, the same video is also being discussed by various commentators and netizens.

Digital & tech blogger ‘Ma Shang Tan” (@马上谈), who has over 480,000 followers on the platform, dismissed the rumors as fake, writing:

“Li Jingjing was here! Ukrainian media have published a condemning the presence of Chinese soldiers in the Russian camo… but that’s really too one-sided. Just because they write Chinese doesn’t mean they represent the Chinese people. First, Russia is offering high pay to recruit mercenaries, attracting people from all over the world who are willing to risk their lives for money. Second, as Russia continues to suffer losses, they’ve turned their focus to ethnic groups from the Far East, recruiting quite a few people in the army, many of whom will know Chinese characters.

Anyway, who even is this Li Jingjing? 😂😂😂😂”

Some commenters note that these soldiers “clearly aren’t Chinese,” some pointing to their appearance, others to how the characters were written—suggesting the characters are written “too wide.”

“This kindergarten level of characters is supposed to be written by a Chinese person?” another person wondered.

“I can immediately tell these are characters written by Koreans,” one Weibo user commented.

Since October 2024, South Korean intelligence has been reporting the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. However, their participation was never officially confirmed by Moscow or Pyongyang.

Another Weibo blogger, the military blogger “Earth Lens A” (@地球镜头A), with more than 950,000 followers, suggested that the “soldiers” could be Chinese, but that they are most likely people dressing up:

““Li Jingjing was here?” Ukrainian social media are framing it as if Chinese people are fighting in the war in the Russian forces. After fabricated claims of “North Koreans fighting in Kursk,” Ukrainian sources are now loudly claiming that Chinese troops have appeared near Pokrovsk, based on a random short video without any source.:

““…Precision Installation”? [“..精工安装”: referring to characters written on the wall in the abandoned building] These people wearing Russian military uniforms and speaking Chinese are either military enthusiasts from China doing cosplay or they’re some vloggers who went to Russia “pretending to be in combat.” Can’t say much else. Speaking of which, they should [do more to] control those Douyin and Kuaishou creators who claim to be fighting on the front lines.”

There is a thriving “cosplay culture” on Chinese short video platforms, and military cosplay is a part of that. Among Chinese younger people, cosplay (‘costume play’) has become increasingly popular over the past years. Cosplay allows people to become something they are not—a superhero, a villain, a sex symbol, a soldier—sometimes Chinese, American, Japanese, or Russian.

Some commenters allege that this particular video was made by creators on the video platform Bilibili, although there is currently no proof of that.

“It’s just some military fans playing in a dilapidated building,” another person wrote.

Meanwhile, there seems to be growing fascination over who Li Jingjing actually is.

“We should urge Li Jingjing to come home!” one blogger wrote: “It’s not worth dying on the Russian battlefield.”

They jokingly added: “Li Jingjing, your mom is calling you home for dinner!”

The phrase is a reference to a famous moment in Chinese internet history when a comment appeared on a World of Warcraft forum saying that a boy named Jia Junpeng was being called home for dinner by his mom (read here).

For some netizens, the fact that this video and its virality are being taken seriously on Western platforms seems to be a source of entertainment: “This video of Chinese cosplayers has started circulating on Twitter (X). It’s hard not to laugh watching their serious analysis.”

By Manya Koetse

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

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China Memes & Viral

Team China’s 10 Most Meme-Worthy Moments at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics captivated Chinese social media, not just for the gold medal victories but also for the many moments that unfolded on the sidelines.

Published

7 months ago

August 12, 2024

Manya Koetse

The 2024 Paris Olympics were all the talk on Chinese social media these weeks. Beyond the gold medal moments, there were also happenings on the sidelines, at the venues, or on the award stage that went viral and sparked online memes.

Before diving into other memorable moments, here’s a quick recap: China won a total of 91 medals at these Olympics, including 40 gold. The U.S. also won 40 gold medals, making this the first tie in the Summer Games’ history.

China secured all the gold medals in both table tennis and diving. China overtook the U.S. for the most Olympic diving gold medals of all time.

Chinese athletes also excelled in swimming; particularly Pan Zhanle (潘展乐), who broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle and won gold. Zheng Qinwen (郑钦文) made history in Chinese women’s tennis by claiming the championship in women’s singles.

Quan Hongchan (全红婵) was not only among the youngest Chinese athletes but also became the most popular, breaking records with her double Olympic diving gold. Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎) and Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) emerged as the undisputed queen and king of China’s table tennis.

Now, let’s revisit some of the other memorable moments, in no particular order (though perhaps chronological). Did I miss one? Please let me know!

#1 Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen’s “Princess Carry” Moment

After grabbing gold at the women’s synchro 3m springboard, Chinese divers Chang Yani (昌雅妮) and Chen Yiwen (陳藝文) celebrated their win. In their moment of joy, Chang jumped into Chen’s arms – the “princess carry” moment undeniably was the cutest Olympic picture of the day.

Fans have been sharing photos and collages of the two divers, whose talent and strong bond serve as a source of inspiration to many.

See post.

#2 Quan’s ‘Ugly’ Slippers

There is one Olympic athlete who really seems to have conquered everyone’s hearts during the Olympics: Quan Hongchan (全红婵). The young springboard diver from Guangdong became one of the most-discussed athletes on Chinese social media during Paris 2024.

Quan has accomplished a lot. She previously, in 2021, won gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics, at just 14 years old. At the Paris Olympics, together with Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐), she first secured gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event on July 31st. On August 6, she also won gold in the women’s 10-meter platform diving final – the water did not even splash!

But the diving star is also noteworthy for quirkiness and authenticity. – something that is referred to as “being Guangdong-style relaxed” (“广式”松弛感) by Chinese netizens. Her backpack is covered in stuffed animals (some say she’s “carrying a zoo on her back”), and she loves wearing animal-themed slippers.

Her “ugly fish slippers” became all the rage since videos of Quan walking around with them went viral online, but she also has other types of ‘ugly-cute’ funny slippers (丑萌拖鞋火) that have become popular online.

See video.

#3 Funny Foreigners Holding the Chinese Flag?

Just a little reminder that things aren’t always what they seem! Chinese viewers noticed that it appeared as if non-Chinese audience members were holding up the Chinese flag at the Olympic venue.

However, it later turned out that it was actually Chinese Olympic fans holding the flag so high that it looked like the people seated above them were the ones holding it. This led to a lot of banter online.

See post.

#4 Olympic Marriage Proposal

Image via @懂球帝 on Weibo.

China’s 12th gold of the Paris Olympics was won by badminton champions Huang Yaqiong (黄雅琼) and Zheng Siwei (郑思维). It was China’s first badminton gold medal of Paris 2024 in the mixed doubles against South Korea.

This gold medal became even more special when a diamond was added to the game. Olympic champion Huang Yaqiong was proposed to by her teammate and men’s doubles player, Liu Yuchen (刘雨辰).

Liu got down on one knee and popped the question right after Huang’s award ceremony. It was later reported that Huang was unaware of the proposal beforehand, although everyone else on the team, except her Olympic partner Zheng Siwei, was in on the secret.

See video.

#5 He Bingjiao Brings Badge of Opponent

Chinese badminton player He Bingjiao (何冰娇) displayed true Olympic spirit when she carried a pin of the Spanish flag onto the podium after her Spanish semifinal opponent had to withdraw due to injury.

Spain’s Carolina Marin was forced to abandon the badminton women’s singles competition after sustaining a knee injury during her semifinal match against He Bingjiao. It was a heartbreaking moment for Marin, who was in tears.

He Bingjiao went on to win silver and carried a Team Spain Olympic pin with her onto the podium to honor Marin.

Marin later said about He Bingjiao: “[…] The moment on the podium is one of the most beautiful gestures I’ve ever experienced, and I will always be incredibly grateful to her.”

See post.

#6 British Team Congratulates Silver Medalists Instead of Gold

Chinese divers Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐) and Quan Hongchan (全红婵) became especially meme-worthy on Chinese social media due to their facial expressions.

After they won gold, the British team, who took bronze, apparently first congratulated the North Korean team that won silver, bypassing the Chinese duo and creating what looked like a somewhat awkward situation.

Although the moment went viral, there were no hard feelings between the two teams; the British team was later also seen have friendly interactions with the Chinese divers.

See video.

#7 Swedish Photographer Bumps Into Wang Chuqin

Chinese table tennis star Wang Chuqin has been one of the most popular athletes on Chinese social media during these Olympics. He is also affectionately called “Wang Chu-KING” (王楚king).

There has been a lot to do about Wang these Olympics, not just because of his athletic performance, but also due to some controversies. After winning gold Wang’s favorite paddle was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue on July 30. Although the photographer was identified by Chinese netizens has having the ‘3488’ number on his back, there was no follow-up in the issue.

Another incident involved a Swedish journalist bumping into Wang at the Olympic venue. Many viewers suggested she intentionally rammed into him, and some sources claim that the journalist was banned from the venue, although this has not been reported by other media outlets.

See video.

#8 Team North Korea and South Korea Take a Selfie Together

It was a special moment: athletes from North Korea, South Korea, and China came together to chat and take a group photo at the podium after winning their table tennis medals. The moment quickly went viral across the internet.

Before the photo, the athletes shook hands and greeted each other on the winner’s podium. The South Korean athletes initiated the selfie. Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin won bronze, North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong took silver, and China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha claimed gold.

Some Chinese commenters viewed the moment as a reflection on what might have been if history had taken a different course. One blogger (@黄卉今天废物了吗) wrote: “It’s a group photo of East Asia without the Japanese. The atmosphere is very warm. Without the Japanese invasion, there wouldn’t have been the division of North and South Korea, nor would there be Taiwan declaring independence.”

See video.

#9 Zhou Yaqing Learns About Medal-Biting Tradition

Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqing (周雅琴) was happy to have won silver, but she seemed a bit out of her comfort zone at the winner’s stage. When she saw the Italian gold en bronze medalists Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito biting their medals – a popular tradition among athletes – she first looked at them with a look of surprise. She seemed to have no idea what they were doing.

Nevertheless, Zhou quickly responded and mimicked her fellow athletes. But instead of biting the medal, the just held the medal close to her mouth. The cute moment captured hearts worldwide.

See video.

#10 Weightlifter Li Wenwen Scoops up Coach

Li Wenwen’s gold medal win (women’s +81kg weighlifting, total of 309kg) was heartwarming and somewhat hilarious. After expressing her joy over winning on stage, she ran to the back and scooped up her coach like he was light as a feather (he had zero choice) and brought him on stage to celebrate with her. Even the Chinese commentator called her adorable.

See video.

Read our Olympic file here.

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo